Reliance eyes IPL monetisation with neuroscience-driven ads

Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group is intensifying efforts to monetise the Indian Premier League (IPL) after finalising an $8.5 billion media merger with Walt Disney, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The company is targeting small businesses and leveraging neuroscience-based brain mapping to enhance advertising effectiveness.

With Reliance and Disney having jointly acquired IPL’s expensive broadcasting rights for nearly $10 billion, ad revenue is critical to making the deal financially viable. Competing with Netflix and Amazon in India's $28-billion streaming market, Reliance is launching a nationwide campaign to attract small businesses, offering IPL streaming ad packages starting at $17,000.

Reliance claims its neuroscience research indicates that IPL ads generate up to four times higher engagement and memorability than ads on platforms like YouTube and Instagram. This strategy was showcased in private seminars across seven cities, where media executives and small business owners explored IPL’s advertising opportunities.

To boost ad revenue, Reliance is focusing on making IPL advertising accessible to smaller businesses by positioning it as a cost-effective alternative to traditional TV ads. The company is also introducing ads on mobile scorecards and employing AI-driven digital ad targeting, allowing for precise audience segmentation based on demographics, location, and income—an advantage over traditional television’s rigid pricing.

Reliance is competing against Google, Meta, Netflix, and Amazon in India’s digital advertising market, where YouTube alone has nearly 500 million users. However, challenges remain. Regulatory restrictions prevent Reliance and Disney from significantly raising IPL ad rates post-merger, while the high cost of broadcasting contributed to Disney India’s $1.42 billion loss last year. Additionally, YouTube and Instagram offer significantly cheaper ad options, with YouTube’s entry-level ads priced at just $115 compared to IPL’s $17,000 minimum.

Despite raising IPL ad rates by up to 25% this year, Reliance’s success will depend on whether it can translate high engagement into sustained profitability in India’s competitive digital media landscape.