IPL ads get a data makeover: What it means for brands

The Indian Premier League (IPL) continues to be the crown jewel of sports broadcasting, with its viewership numbers surging year after year. IPL 2024 saw a staggering 620 million viewers, up from 449 million in 2023. As IPL 2025 approaches, brands are ramping up their advertising budgets to tap into this growing audience.

However, beyond the record-breaking viewership, the real shift in the industry is being catalysed by JioHotstar’s latest move—providing advertisers with detailed consumer engagement data. The digital arm of Reliance-Disney’s JioStar has partnered with Nielsen to provide audience measurement for the $12 billion IPL 2025. This is probably the first time a third-party agency will offer digital viewership data, similar to BARC’s TV ratings, as JioStar holds IPL’s television and digital rights.

Digital advertising has always been plagued by a ‘black box’ problem, with brands making substantial investments despite having limited visibility into actual impact. With JioStar, the platform is now offering granular audience insights, revolutionising how advertisers approach digital media planning. This shift could redefine the industry by enabling more precise targeting, performance-driven investments, and a transformation in ad-tech solutions.

According to Response India's director, Rashi Ray, globally, the platforms that provide granular insights witness a shift towards performance-driven ad spends. "Early adopters of JioStar’s insights are already experiencing improved campaign effectiveness. Advertisers have been increasingly prioritising platforms that provide measurable outcomes. With JioStar, as brands can now access real-time data on impressions, engagement, and conversions, it could lead to more accountable spending with measurable results," she noted.

Sindhu Biswal, founder and CEO of Buzzlab, feels that JioStar is “pulling back the curtain on India’s digital advertising landscape, turning what was once a black box of vague metrics into a goldmine of actionable insights.” Early data from sports streaming shows engagement spikes during key match moments, prompting advertisers to focus on performance-driven buys. He also opined, “Brands running content-led campaigns can track which segments hold attention, where drop-offs happen, and what drives action, allowing them to refine messaging in real time.”

From reach to performance: A new era in ad spending

For decades, brands have focused on reach-based advertising, measuring success through broad viewership metrics. However, as JioStar rolls out its data capabilities, the focus is shifting toward performance-driven strategies.

Ishan Chatterjee, chief business officer—sports revenue, SMB and creator, JioStar.

According to Ishan Chatterjee, chief business officer—sports revenue, SMB and creator, JioStar, the industry today is shifting from a pure reach-based model to a performance-driven approach, where deeper audience engagement, precise targeting, and measurable ROI justify premium pricing. “With JioStar, we are not just delivering reach but also deeper engagement, audience insights, and measurable outcomes—elements that drive value for advertisers globally,” he claimed.

The partnership between JioHotstar and Nielsen introduces third-party validated measurement for digital live sports in India, ensuring greater transparency and accountability. Krishna Iyer, director of marketing at MullenLowe Lintas Group, highlights the significance of this. “Advertisers can expect more precise targeting and better ROI on their ad spends. This shift will likely lead to increased ad spending on digital platforms as brands can now measure the effectiveness of their campaigns more accurately,” he said.

For instance, measurement tools like the collaboration between JioHotstar and Nielsen for advanced ad measurement ahead of the IPL 2025 will provide advertisers with detailed insights into campaign performance, including impressions, clicks, and reach. This will enable more transparency and help media planners allocate their budgets precisely based on detailed audience insights. 

Ketan Desai, MD at Monks India, further elaborates on how hyperlocal and precision targeting will be a game-changer. “This will be useful for launches, special offers for regional brands in specific areas, such as event announcements. It will also lead to a rise in regional advertising, which was earlier limited by budgets or a lack of national footprint,” he stated.

The transparency revolution: A more accountable ecosystem

Digital advertising has long been criticised for its opacity. Platforms have historically operated in silos, making it difficult for brands to gauge the true impact of their ad spends. However, with the introduction of real-time transparency through JioStar, these dynamics are changing.

Biswal is glad that now campaigns can no longer be built on estimates and gut feeling. “JioStar is setting the bar for data-backed decisions, real-time optimisations, and ad strategies that actually deliver ROI. Platforms that don’t match this level of transparency will struggle to keep up,” he added.

Mihir Mehta, managing partner at 0101.Today

Mihir Mehta, managing partner at 0101.Today, points out that the real issue has been the walled gardens—where data is available, but within restricted ecosystems. Third-party measurement partners like Nielsen, DoubleVerify, DCM, and Sizmek have long provided metrics like in-target audience, viewability, and attribution.

“Even OTT platforms themselves offer content, device, geo, and demographic insights. JioStar’s real-time transparency is a breakthrough because it centralises and standardises these insights in one place,” he stated.

The ability to correlate ad spend with tangible outcomes means brands can now prioritise performance-driven investments over traditional reach-based buying. “Advertisers will now be able to correlate ad spend with tangible outcomes, making advertising more effective,” said Desai, adding, “It will also enable more performance-based advertising with an ability to optimise campaigns in (close to) real-time.”

Smarter attribution and measurement

As advertisers gain access to deeper engagement metrics, the ad-tech ecosystem is poised for rapid evolution. Mehta predicts a significant shift in how brands leverage AI-driven audience segmentation and cross-platform measurement.

“Expect to see AI-driven audience segmentation, where ad placements are continuously optimised based on real-time engagement, and cross-platform measurement solutions, bridging the gap between OTT, mobile, and even offline conversions,” he said.

Ray also expects AI-driven ad targeting, real-time campaign optimisation, and predictive analytics to take a more significant role. Cross-platform measurement—linking connected TV, digital videos, and e-commerce—will also see significant advancements. "This will enable brands to track a consumer’s journey across multiple touch-points, leading to better personalisation, more effective retargeting, and improved overall ad performance," she noted.

Desai adds that the introduction of data clean rooms will become increasingly vital. “Data clean rooms will enable advertisers to securely integrate first-party data with platform data to gain a more comprehensive view of customer behaviour while adhering to strict privacy regulations.”

With Connected TV (CTV) on the rise, advanced targeting, interactive ad formats, and contextual advertising will further refine the ad-tech landscape. Platforms like JioHotstar are heavily invested in hyperlocal targeting, leading to the development of more tools to take advantage of precision-based advertising. The rise of Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) is another area to watch, where AI and machine learning will generate ad variations tailored to individual audience segments in real-time.

A key hurdle that persists is cross-platform de-duplication, which remains unresolved. Managing audience duplication and excessive ad frequency still requires proxy analytical tools. Strict privacy laws further restrict cross-platform user tracking, adding to the complexity. Additionally, varying measurement metrics make it difficult to compare engagement data and identify overlaps accurately.

JioHotstar’s impact on IPL and live sports advertising

Live sports have always been the biggest revenue driver for digital platforms, but precise targeting and real-time measurement have remained a challenge. With JioStar’s real-time data capabilities, this could well change how brands approach sponsorships and in-match advertising.

Hyperlocal advertising, which platforms like Google and Meta have been offering for some time, will now play a more prominent role in IPL campaigns. “Hyperlocal advertising enables advertisers to target specific regions and even pin codes—delivering immediate relevance and returns for both brands and consumers,” said Iyer. However, he also warns that “marketers must balance short-term sales with long-term brand-building strategies to ensure sustainable growth.”

Krishna Iyer, director of marketing at MullenLowe Lintas Group.

Additionally, brands will no longer just buy slots—they will buy moments. JioStar’s ability to track peak engagement will allow advertisers to serve contextual ads at optimal times. “It will help in real-time targeting based on viewer interactions, optimising placements dynamically mid-game,” said Mehta. “Brand recall can be measured beyond impressions, ensuring ads drive tangible impact, not just visibility.”

Competitive ripple effect

Following JioStar’s data-driven approach, other players will be forced to follow suit or risk falling behind. “Competitors and other streaming platforms will need to innovate, bet on events that attract high eyeballs, and offer similar data-driven solutions to remain competitive,” said Iyer.

Ketan Desai believes this will trigger industry-wide enhancements in data analytics. “Those lagging will likely struggle to compete for ad revenue. It may also lead ro consolidation among platforms, as data partnerships become essential for improving measurement and targeting capabilities.”

While the move towards greater transparency benefits advertisers, it also raises critical questions about data privacy and consumer trust. As JioStar sets new standards, platforms will need to ensure that enhanced measurement capabilities do not come at the expense of user privacy.

As brands move from traditional reach-based advertising to performance-driven investments, transparency, accountability, and advanced ad-tech solutions will become the new norm. For advertisers, this means more precise targeting, higher ROI, and greater confidence in digital ad spends. For the industry, it signals a fundamental change in how media planning, campaign optimisation, and live sports advertising are approached. For consumers, it promises a more relevant and engaging advertising experience.

The ‘black box’ era of digital advertising is finally being dismantled. The question now is not whether brands will adapt but how quickly they can.