Nearly 1 in 5 urban Indians discovered new brand products while watching World Cup 2023: Report

Nearly two in five urban Indians say they discovered new brands or products while watching World Cup 2023, as per the latest data from YouGov. The survey is based on a survey of adults aged 18+ years in India with a sample size of 1011 respondents.

It shows that two-thirds of urban Indians claim they have been following the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in the last month (67%). Around the same time, nearly two in five have been watching Big Boss (38%), while three in ten have been following talent reality shows like Indian Idol, India’s Got Talent (30%) or television game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (30%).

When it comes to watching the World Cup, big screens dominate urban Indians' homes. More than half of urban Indians (55%) said they watch the ICC Cricket World Cup on TV (using DTH or satellite cable TV service or online streaming), while 44% watch it on mobiles or iPads/laptops/tablets. Furthermore, 58% of urban Indians rate their experience of watching the World Cup on TV as ‘excellent’ and 34% as ‘good’. This compares to 32% and 43%, respectively, for the mobile audience.

It is also worth noting that watching cricket is not limited to men or sports enthusiasts, as commonly believed, but rather has become a family affair. Half of urban Indians say they watch the Cricket World Cup with their families (51%), a fifth do so with their spouse or partner (21%) and almost three in ten (28%) watch it alone. The mass appeal of sporting events like the World Cup makes them attractive to brands looking to engage a highly captive audience.

Out of those who have been watching the World Cup in the last month, two in five urban Indian consumers said they saw an ad that they really liked (40%). A similar proportion said they got to learn about new brands that they weren't aware of earlier (38%) or discovered new products launched by their favourite brands while watching it (37%).

The association of brands with the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has been beneficial with three-quarters of urban Indians (74%) saying they feel positive about brands who advertise during such events/shows. The favourability of brands advertising during the World Cup surpasses the favourability of brands that advertise with iconic entertainment properties such as KBC (68%) and Big Boss (59%).

While it is no surprise that most people typically watch the first and second innings of the match during World Cup 2023, the data shows that a considerable proportion of people are interested in ancillary content such as mid-cricket live show (40%), pre-match cricket live shows (34%) and post-match cricket live show (28%). This presents additional opportunities for brands looking to target a highly engaged audience.

When it comes to the language of commentary, the majority say they generally hear match commentary in English (at 51%). Hindi fares well too, with 47% saying they hear it in the national language. Interestingly, GenZ were significantly more likely than others to say they hear match commentary in Hindi (59%), while members of GenX prefer to hear it in English (58%).