Jhakas | Sanjay Jha
The commercial exploitation reached a mind-numbing high a few nights ago. After a tepid, insipid, uninspiring ready-to-cook " thriller" (the IPL final between the old Nizami fiefdom and the Silicon Valley of the East), there was a long pregnant interval, interspersed with some peculiar light-effects and asinine entertainment that seemed to have neither a comma nor a temporary pause.
Katrina Kaif tried hard to celebrate her opponent team's victory (she is a brand ambassador of the perennially-fishing King's squad), trying to match steps with rapper - or - whatever Akon. Continue reading below
Within seconds of the conclusion of the final farce on May 24, it was packaged TV entertainment all the way to Johannesburg. Never mind the missing prize distribution, victory speeches, team photos, rapid-fire interviews and a quick appreciation of tournament heroes, as it ought to be.
We forget, this is IPL , so it must have some bizarre Bollywood elements or horrendous Hollywood innovations. This one had both in overflowing abundance.
The papers are expectedly full off how IPL 2 has been an "incredible" success (the IPL PR machinery in sixth gear), but in reality, it is anything but.
Since the proprietors of this private limited enterprise have consistently stated that it is an idiot box traffic instigating venture, it's success must naturally be measured in terms of pure TRP ratings. Period.
And on that simple criteria, the IPL 2 has shown an alarming decline in viewership levels. Considering the first year was a highly promoted debut launch, the second year should have ideally registered a clear upward trend (bolstered considerably by massive pre-tournament controversy). On the contrary, the numbers have shrunk, despite growing TV households and a Bollywood-free summer.
The fact and the flimsy excuse that the tournament was being held abroad is hardly justification, after all, it was always meant to be TV-driven. So?
And let's remember, the IPL perhaps got unqualified support from general media, who were in amplified overdrive, going gaga over every raga of the IPL. I have never ever seen as much off-pitch coverage during a live match after practically every ball, as much as the South African safari.
By the next edition, the IPL may even have a multi-split screen package; the match proceedings, the glamour crowd basking in their Versace, the dug-outs , and even the dressing room, all in one screen shot. You can put nothing past their "strategic time-out" think tank creative sessions.
The evidently avaricious gang running this entertainment company want to add two teams to the franchise from 2010. That would increase the number of matches by 16-18 per new team (as matches are played on a home and away basis), thus making the IPL into, practically speaking, at least a full two and a half to three month exercise, at the bare minimum, unless they play 3-4 matches per day with no rest days in between, which would be a monstrous overkill.
Next year, the IPL might even want to lobby to change school summer holiday schedules!
I feel that the IPL model is being asymmetrically based on just TV coverage (adding more teams guarantees that ), irrespective of any cricketing logic, player interests, viewer fatigue, over-delivery, and total fragmentation of the game itself.
It is quite illogical frankly, even from a commercial standpoint. Sure, TV rights money guarantees a safety net, but with viewer-ship levels already stagnating, franchise owners will also end up with a natural cap in their ability to increase other alternative revenue streams.
Since it is disproportionately skewed towards the Indian audience, no amount of " globalisation" will alter it's revenue potential, which will witness decreasing growth levels as it heads to a definite plateau in the coming years.
It will be foolish to assume enhanced business revenue merely with an ageing property as viewers constantly seek new experiences. In 2011 , we will have the World Cup and IPL dates clashing. Just imagine what that over-dose of cricket can do to a normal human being's sensibilities!
And whatever happened to those fancy valuations?
In fact, the team brand valuations have dropped drastically from their earlier inflated prognostications, if some self-sponsored studies being paraded around are an indicator.
Not long ago, they talked of ridiculous thousand percentage growth numbers, but in actuality, it seems like a sharp decline. On current estimates, practically all franchise brand valuations (which typically factor in their financial earnings and not just eyeballs, footfalls, couch potatoes etc) are severely discounted to their purchase price. And by the way, I have seen more mannequin's in team merchandise than urban fans, really.
I hope IPL blokes were watching the Champions League final last night.
The closing ceremony was brief, and ended before the finals commenced. People waited long hours to watch Messi and Ronaldo, Rooney and Henry, not some hip hop singer gyrating to indecipherable mumbo-jumbo.
Sure, there is nothing wrong in making money, but guys, you all have sold every square millimeter of your souls, if you had any to begin with.
The end ceremony celebrity singer was the apposite choice for IPL. A-con all the way!
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