Prior to the start of the 2020 Indian Premier League, Dream11 won the rights to be the competition’s title sponsor. After Vivo pulled out of a prospective agreement, the fantasy cricket platform secured a deal for around £22.5 million.
In many ways, the link-up between both entities made logical sense. This is because Dream11 already had a contract in place with the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Not only that, but the fantasy platform’s mobile compatibility played into the country’s new-found love of mobile gaming.
So, let’s take a look at how their smartphone app altered spectator immersion and interactivity in this year’s IPL.
Catering to India’s Ever-Growing Mobile Trend
Since coming to fruition in 2008, the Mumbai-based business has long sought digitalise Indian’s deep-rooted admiration for the bat-and-ball game. Regarding the Dream11 app’s core functionality, it’s very similar to other fantasy-centred developments. From a 100-credit budget, users must put together an 11-player team. Interestingly, there’s variation concerning selectivity restrictions, with users able to choose between a minimum of three and a maximum of six batsmen, for example.
For the 2020 edition of the IPL, players could immerse themselves in Dream11’s fantasy platform via Android and iOS devices. In turn, this mobile-friendly approach saw the platform boast sizeable increases in traffic. According to a report by Entrepreneur, Dream11 recorded a 44.4 per cent volume increase for the first match of the 2020 IPL, compared to the final match of the 2019 edition. Furthermore, the Dream 11 app also registered over 5.3 million concurrent users on October 14th; the same date that the Delhi Capitals beat the Rajasthan Royals by 13 runs.
Fundamentally, the progression that Dream11 enjoyed throughout the 2020 IPL is something of a microcosm of broader trends in India. The South Asian country’s gaming market has hit new heights following its embrace of mobile platforms. As per data from Dot Com Infoway, India’s smartphone gaming revenue is forecast to reach revenues of around £825 million in 2020, which will be an 87 per cent increase.
Are They Alone in Developing IPL-Orientated Offerings?
Following the success of Dream11, it’s unsurprising to see other fantasy-centred platforms come to the forefront. In September 2018, Mobile Premier League launched onto the market. Similarly to the Mumbai-based company’s offerings, the two-year-old platform also allows cricket fans to immerse themselves in the 20-over competition. From a marketing standpoint, they have attracted local players through the Mobile Premier League and Virat Kohli association.
Given the growth of cricket-related mobile platforms, the IPL has since become a focal point among online sports betting operators. For those wanting to find the latest odds on today’s IPL match, prospective bettors can peruse several bonus-offering websites listed at Cricket Betting. The service provides game predictions, statistics, and tips to help IPL fans bet on the winning team. Yet more evidence of how the game’s broad appeal has encroached on other markets.
Credit Must Go to Dream11
Although the emergence of increasing numbers of cricket-orientated platforms isn’t solely down to Dream11, few can argue that the platform hasn’t successfully captured the interests of local gamers and cricket fans. Ultimately, given their current growth rate, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the company hit record-breaking figures year-on-year, particularly as the IPL’s global audience base continues to expand.
