Changing the Game: Making Advertisers See IPL Beyond TV

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Changing the Game: Making Advertisers See IPL Beyond TV

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The Challenge

When Viacom18 Sports partnered with GainTailwind, the mission was clear: shift the entrenched “TV-first”
mindset of IPL advertising and make advertisers see JioCinema streaming-especially on Connected TV (CTV)
-as not just viable, but essential.

For over a decade, IPL had been synonymous with television. Moving budgets into digital meant dismantling two deep-rooted barriers:

01

TV Dominance:
The belief that IPL lived exclusively on television

02

Advertiser Scepticism:
Hesitation around CTV’s effectiveness, accessibility, and ROI

The task wasn’t just about offering an alternative-it was about reframing streaming as the new mainstream.

The Approach

After evaluating multiple go-to-market strategies, we recommended a flagship event as it enabled a targeted approach, the opportunity to establish one-on-one dialogue with industry leaders, and shape perception in the most effective way.

The closed-door format enabled precise targeting by inviting industry leaders to speak on digitization and earning industry validation without overt brand messaging. Framing the event around a pressing industry challenge positioned the brand as a facilitator of strategic dialogue, reinforcing its role in advancing digital workflows in fixed income.

The Solution

We partnered with Viacom18 to position IPL on JioCinema as the default, future-ready advertising platform.

Narrative building

We crafted a clear, compelling story spotlighting the reach, precision, and cost-effectiveness of CTV with key hooks like ‘Connected TV is a must-have in the media toolkit’ and positioning JioCinema as the ultimate destination for IPL advertising.

Multi-channel amplification

To embed this narrative, we designed a surround-sound strategy:

  • High-impact media: Display ads and takeovers on sports sections of leading publications like Exchange4Media and Afaqs
  • City roadshows: Multicity sessions educating advertisers on the CTV opportunity
  • Industry events: Thought-leadership slots cementing Viacom18 as the category authority
  • PR & reports: Placed articles and contributions to industry reports (Denstu & Pitch Madison) to shape media narratives
  • Digital lead generation: Meta and LinkedIn campaigns driving high-intent advertiser sign-ups
  • Sales enablement: Custom decks, creatives, and mailers empowering the Viacom18 sales team
  • Social media: Consistent infographics, carousels, and posts reinforcing the IPL narrative & innovative ad formats

Creative unification

We developed a bold visual identity rooted in JioCinema’s vibrant palette. Hero visuals-cricketers bursting out of screens-captured the immersive scale of IPL on CTV.


This unified system spanned across every touchpoint from roadshows, PR, social media, to sales collaterals, ensuring one seamless experience.

Impact

The campaign redefined advertiser perception of IPL streaming. CTV was no longer seen as secondary; it became the must-have channel shaping IPL advertising today. By reframing the conversation, GainTailwind helped Viacom18 establish IPL on JioCinema as the mainstream advertising destination, breaking the “TV-first” mould and driving confidence in CTV as a powerful, scalable growth platform.