Independent advertising rep firm Viamedia said it has made a deal to sell programmatic ads for Willow by Cricbuzz, which streams cricket matches live and on demand in the U.S.

The deal boosts Viamedia’s presence in the programmatic marketplace at a time when cricket, one of the most popular sports in the world, is gaining traction in the U.S. and more live sports are being streamed. Viamedia will use its suite of programmatic technologies to commercials more accurate, and effective for advertisers and generate a higher yield for Willow by Cricbuzz.

“Viamedia’s strategic partnership with Willow by Cricbuzz signifies a major advancement into the streaming media landscape,” Viamedia CEO David Solomon said. “Our profound expertise in ad sales places us at the cutting edge of digital advertising evolution and positions our partners for unprecedented success. By integrating programmatic technology, we are redefining the reach and precision of advertising and enhancing revenue streams, setting a new pace for innovation in the advertising industry and expanding our footprint in the programmatic streaming sector.”

The popularity of cricket got a boost in America when Team USA beat the powerful Pakistani team in June during the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup. 

Globally, more than 400 million people watched a Pakistan-India game on June 9, more than douple the viewership of the Super Bowl. 

In the U.S., more outlets are starting to carry cricket matches. Last month, Fubo added Willow by Cricbuzz to its platform. Fubo will stream more than 220 live matches annually as part of the deal. 

Earlier this month, the YES Network said it made a deal to stream seven matches featuring defending Major League Cricket champion MI New York this season (those matches are also being streamed by Willow by Cricketbuzz, which is available in about 20 million U.S. homes). 

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Viamedia and leverage their expertise to enhance our ad sales strategy,” Todd Myers, chief operating officer of Willow by Cricbuzz, said. “Viamedia’s advanced programmatic capabilities will streamline our ad sales process and provide our advertisers with more precise targeting options. This partnership will drive substantial growth for our platform and ensure our audiences receive the most pertinent content.”

Disney has lost its bid to acquire streaming rights to what has emerged as one of the world's most coveted live sports packages, the Indian Premier League cricket tournament. 

Viacom18, a Mumbai-based joint venture between Paramount Global and Reliance Industries' TV18, won the five-year IPL streaming package with a $3 billion bid. Disney, however, will retain broadcast rights, paying a reported $3 billion. 

In all, IPL will collect $6.2 billion for TV rights to 410 matches that are played in April and May. 

Updated: This story has been updated to include new, higher figures for the IPL rights deals. 

Viacom18 and Disney also beat out Amazon and Sony for the rights packages. 

Also read: Disney’s Wish For Star India Success Swings on Cricket Deal

The 14-year-old IPL plays a special form of cricket, and has grown to be hugely popular in India. The league added two more teams last year, paying $800 million each to join the bonanza. Disney inherited the cricket rights when it bought Star India as part of its $71 billion acquisition of much of Fox in 2019, and since has incorporated Star into Disney Plus in India. 

In terms of profitability, owning streaming for the IPL isn't the same thing as, say, owning NBA rights in the U.S. 

Monthly ARPU (average revenue per user) is just 76 cents in India. Compare that to the rest of the planet: those subs fetch an ARPU of $6.35. Disney has acknowledged in multiple earnings reports that the India sector has been a drag on streaming revenue, and it could get a lot worse. 

Also read: Netflix Sees Green Shoots in India

But with Star India controlling more than 46 million subscribers in the region, Disney has dominance in a coveted, unsaturated market with 1.38 billion customers. That figure dwarfs the presence of rivals like Netflix, which is investing big money to expand its Asian-Pacific region presence. 

With the tournament at the knockout stage, ESPN is offering a new Cricket World Cup package.

Streaming subscription service ESPN Cricket 2015 is now offering for $39.99 access to the quarterfinals, semifinals and final for $39.99. At presstime, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, Austalia and India remain in the competition. ESPN Cricket 2015 began its coverage of the 14-nation, 47-match tourney on Feb..3

The platform, which launched with ESPN's coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup for $99.99, will also deliver complete coverage of the upcoming eighth season of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) to fans in the U.S., beginning April 8. The package is also available via the pay-per-view platforms of Dish and Mediacom Communications.

ESPN will provide live and on-demand coverage in the U.S. of the entire Pepsi IPL season  from April 8 to May 24  through ESPN Cricket 2015.  All 60 matches will be available live and on replay for $79.99. Until April 11, the price will be discounted to $69.99 for fans who have already subscribed to ESPN Cricket 2015’s full coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup. 

“We’re pleased with the success so far of our Cricket World Cup coverage on ESPN Cricket 2015 and through our partners’ pay per view platforms, and we’re excited to extend a unique window on the cricket calendar with coverage of the Pepsi IPL,” said Russell Wolff, executive vice president, ESPN. “ESPN Cricket 2015 has been a great complement to our existing networks and the value of the multichannel environment, and has allowed us to explore new ways to reach tech-savvy consumers and develop new expertise in the digital space.”

Additionally, ESPN will also feature live simulcast coverage on ESPN2 of the Chennai Super Kings vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, April 11 at 6:30 a.m. (ET)

Digital cricket brand ESPNcricinfo has updated its signature mobile app, featuring its fastest ever performance and a range of new features.

Delivering the most comprehensive cricket coverage from across the world, the refreshed app, timed for the worldwide leader's subscription streaming presentation of 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, enhances fans’ ability to stay up to date with the latest news, info, scores and more.

The updated ESPNcricinfo app is available on iOS, Android and Windows 8.

The app provides faster than ever live match scores and data alongside a range of new and updated features will increase user engagement with the app and provide additional methods of interaction with other cricket fans. The updates include:

·         World Cup – dedicated section featuring exclusive content from ESPNcricinfo

·         Content – updates provide unlimited news loading and access to additional content through a simple swipe process

·         Matches –calendar includes rich enhanced filters to access all matches

·         Scores – access to archives of match results from previous years

·         Match Centre – newly restructured featuring full scorecard, commentary – including a new summary feature allowing for a quick preview of each piece of content – and extensive match coverage

·         Improved Functionality – a newly enhanced UI experience across all content

“Mobile is critical to the modern fan, and is central to all of our thinking at ESPNcricinfo and across ESPN digital,” said Ramesh Kumar, head of ESPNcricinfo and ESPN India.  “The new app offers enhanced performance and superior user interface, as well as new features and sections, and all of the industry-leading, trusted content that cricket fans turn to ESPNcricinfo for.”

ESPN will bring bolwers and batsmen to U.S. fans with its live and on-demand coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

The 49-match tournament, running from Feb. 13 through March 29, will be available via subscription streaming service, ESPNcricket2015.com, which bows on Feb. 3. All of the matches will be available live and on replay for $99.99, in both English and Hindi. ESPN is only selling the package on a full subscription basis.

Additionally, ESPN has reached agreements with Dish Network, Mediacom and Time Warner Cable to make all 49 matches available live and in the high-definition format to their subscribers via each company’s pay-per-view platform. The disributors will set their own pricing structures and their packages include all 49 matches in English, plus ESPN’s flagship 30-minute pre- and post- match studio program ESPNcricinfo Match Point .  Fans can subscribe by contacting the operators or ordering through their set-top box.

The ICC Cricket World Cup from Sydney, Australia comprises a 14-nation pool competing in One Day International matches.  The schedule is available here.

ESPNcricket2015.com will launch live and begin taking subscriptions on Feb. 3.  Fans subscribe online, and can then watch matches on ESPNcricket2015.com or download and watch on the ESPN Cricket 2015 app for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, launching on Feb. 11.

For ESPN's $99.99 subscription fee, fans receive complete coverage including all matches with English and Hindi-language commentary streams, full and condensed (60-minute) replays on-demand and the ESPN’s flagship pre-, post- and mid-innings studio program ESPNcricinfo Match Point. ESPNcricinfo’s Match Point will be televised three times daily from on-site overlooking Sydney Harbour. Each show will  range from 15 to 30 minutes, and will be hosted by Isa Guha and Raunak Kapoor. Joining them will be a panel of international experts including Michael Holding, Jonathon Trott and Ajit Agarkar.

“The Cricket World Cup is a unique event and we are excited to deliver it to fans in a new and unique way with the launch of ESPNcricket2015.com and our agreements with Dish Network, Mediacom and Time Warner Cable,” said Russell Wolff, executive vice president, ESPN. “As a complement to our core networks and the value of the multichannel environment, the launch of ESPNcricket2015.com is a dynamic way for us to deliver this event while continuing to explore with new ways to reach tech-savvy consumers and develop new expertise and agility in a dynamic media environment.”