ITs Not Just Cricket

The opening ceremony (some called it embarrassing retro) is over; the IPL is
in full swing again. Sachin is in great form; Yusuf Pathan, Dhoni and Sehwag are
indulging in their usual pyrotechnics; KKR suddenly looks a rejuvenated lot with
Dada back at the helm; young pretenders like Mathews, Tiwary and Ashwin are
doing well. IPL is back. But its not just about cricket. And we are not just
talking about the glam quotient. Technology has proved to be the frontrunner in
the game.

IPLs partnership with Google India to provide live streaming of the
IPLmatches on YouTube was targeted at enabling the tamasha (cricket +
entertainment) to reach global shores. According to Shailesh Rao, managing
director, media and platforms, Asia Pacific, Google India, YouTube videos are
viewed by around 400 mn users globally and the plan is to tap these users for
the live streams of IPL cricket matches. "In India, about 10 mn users view
YouTube and the number is growing," says Rao.

"It will allow users to view the matches at their convenience with the
availability of clips and highlights on demand 24x7, throughout the year, and
will overcome the time barriers for viewers from other countries," Rao said.
From Googles perspective, for the first time, it will be streaming live feed on
YouTube in its history. For the first time, it will be involved with a major
sporting event which has global impact and audience spread across geographies.
For global audience who have high-speed Internet connectivity, certainly this
will give a multi-level experience, though it will have less impact for
audiences here in IndiaIPL matches are hardly clashing with office times; and
anyway, most offices have banned YouTube.

If the YouTube partnership is catering more to a global audience, the one
with July Systems is more specifically designed for the Indian market. A few
days before the launch, PL and its licensing partner Global Cricket Ventures (GCV)
announced a partnership with July Systems to launch IPL mobile Internet service.
This service is aimed at tapping every Indian who uses Internet enabled mobile
phone, across device types and networks under its services purview. Users can
access this service from their mobile phone by calling the MiX toll-free number
08 123 123 123 or by accessing m.iplt20.com. This service will, for the first
time, enable users to view live ball-by-ball video updates, action replays,
video score cards, etc. During the television broadcast of IPL, the phone number
will be displayed on TV screens. The IPL service can be initiated by dialing
this toll free number, which results in an SMS being sent to the user with the
link to the IPL mobile Internet service. Users have to then click on this link
to watch real-time video clips. The service has been designed to deliver
international quality video experiences optimized for low bandwidth networks and
for the vast array of handsets that are available in the Indian market.

Refraining from restricting its boundaries, GCV also entered into a
partnership with Apalya Technologies, a mobile TV service provider and owners of
the MiMobiTV service, for the live video streaming of the IPL matches for the
next three years, including the forthcoming 2010 IPL season.

"The rights granted cover live video streaming for all mobile platforms
worldwide for the IPL on an exclusive basis. This venture will allow mobile
users both in India, and around the world to catch all the action live from the
IPL games even if they are on-the-move or do not have access to traditional or
static mediums such as television," said Apalya.

Record Firsts

MAX, Indias Premium Hindi Movies and special events channel and the
official broadcaster of the DLF IPL will now bring home the real cricket
experience in high definition (HD) format on the Sun Direct platform. This is
for the first time in India that the countrys most enthralling sports
extravaganza will make its appearance in HDTV format.

Consumers today are increasingly using social media to express themselves and
what more can be the hottest topic than IPL. Online posts in message boards,
blogs, discussion groups and micro blogs (Twitter) have all acquired a new face
with IPL. Kolkata Night Riders (KKR) is the most discussed team online, both in
2009 and 2010. Kings XI Punjab has overtaken Rajasthan Royals as the second most
discussed team in social media, followed by Deccan Chargers.

Indiagames has given cricket fans much more to be excited about. As the
official gaming partners for the DLF IPL, they have launched IPL Indiagames T20
Fever cricket game for multiple platforms. Indiagames announced a partnership
with Global Cricket Ventures (GCV) to acquire the official gaming rights to the
IPL tournament. One of the key features of the online game is a seamless
integration with Facebook, allowing users to create their own teams consisting
of both Facebook friends and IPL cricketers. Another unique feature is
micro-transaction support for the online and mobile game enabling users to buy
IPL players to improve their chances of becoming the IPL Champion. Apart from
releasing games across all mobile phones, games have been created for the iPhone
and the yet to be launched iPad.

To bring IPL fever to the web, Indiagames will also be designing a series of
interactive online games, integrating social gaming features within them. The
first game will be a browser based, high quality, 3D cricket game called IPL
Indiagames T20 Fever. Integrated with Facebook Connect, the game will allow
players to create their own teams along with their Facebook friends to play
against any other IPL team. Much like the mobile version, the players can also
purchase real IPL players for virtual currency and add them to the team. A
second online game, called IPL Indiagames 140Cricket will be based on a
cricket manager concept, and will target Twitter users. Going forward, the
company will be launching more games with additional features.

Shilpa Shanbhag

shilpas@cybermedia.co.in