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Dream11 kickstarted this year’s IPL season with a high-octane campaign merging the worlds of Bollywood and Cricket. The campaign, which went viral instantly, featured actors Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, along with India's biggest cricketing icons, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and R. Ashwin.
The campaign saw Khan and Kapoor engage in playful rivalry while forming their fantasy cricket teams, Aamir11 and Ranbir11, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown. Special appearances by Arbaaz Khan and Jackie Shroff further elevated the campaign with their signature wit and charm.
“This year, we have put a special focus on sharpening our creative cut-through,” shares Vikrant Mudaliar, Chief Marketing Officer, Dream Sports, in conversation with exchange4media. “Rather than simply increasing budgets, we’re focused on sharper messaging that drives organic traction. By creating content that resonates, sparks conversations and encourages fan participation, we aim to maximise impact.”
Mudaliar explains that celebrity endorsements for Dream11 go beyond mere visibility, helping the platform strike the right chord with fans. With an idea-first approach, the team carefully assesses whether celebrities are needed for a particular campaign. The creative concept determines if stars should be included in the narrative and which personalities would best bring the vision to life, driving virality and high engagement.
“Cricketers, given our deep connection to the sport, naturally fit into our storytelling. When we work with entertainment stars, it’s primarily because they enhance the creative idea. Their celebrity status is an added benefit,” he explains, adding: “While reach and scale are important, we measure success through engagement like tracking brand recall, sentiment, social interactions and organic conversations around our campaigns.”
Beyond traditional metrics
Dream11 looks past surface-level campaign measurements to focus on what really matters. While brand awareness, recall, and online traction are key indicators, the main focus is on sparking conversations and driving community engagement. Data is key to the marketing strategy, helping fine-tune the media mix, target the right audiences, and anticipate future trends. This keeps campaigns agile, efficient, and in sync with user preferences. Ultimately, success means securing Dream11’s place as the top choice for fantasy sports fans.
Fan conversations and social engagement serve as real-time feedback on campaign performance. Every initiative undergoes thorough ROI evaluation for efficiency and effectiveness. “If we can spark conversations, drive participation and strengthen our community, that’s a win for us,” shares Mudaliar.
He adds, “We analyse market and user behaviour data to deliver targeted content and understand which platforms, creatives and messages are driving the most engagement. The ability to adapt quickly is one of our key strengths. If a particular campaign resonates with a specific audience, we scale it instantly to maximise results.”
Beyond the buzz around IPL
While engagement naturally peaks during IPL, Dream11’s approach is to keep the excitement alive year-round. “As the ‘popcorn to sports’, we thrive on live events, but our presence in the sports ecosystem extends well beyond marquee tournaments,” shares Mudaliar.
The platform maintains momentum through smaller leagues and emerging sports, backed by strategic long-term partnerships and team sponsorships. Their roster of roughly 25 sports ambassadors plays a crucial role in this always-on approach.
Mudaliar shares insights into the strategy: “Through their authentic connection with fans, we maintain conversations and sustain engagement even during non-peak periods. Social media and influencer partnerships also play a key role in celebrating the everyday love of sports, ensuring Dream11 remains top-of-mind throughout the year.”
The high-impact partnership with IPL, which began in 2019, transformed Dream11’s position in fantasy sports. It opened up opportunities for the platform to tap into millions of cricket enthusiasts across India.
The tournament's massive reach and passionate viewership allowed it to engage users on an unprecedented scale, elevating fantasy sports from niche activity to mainstream entertainment. It also created unmatched brand recognition, building a strong foundation that can be further leveraged for user acquisition and retention. “While brand awareness is high, acquisition still requires strategic effort. In a competitive market, we focus on differentiation, ensuring that new users see Dream11 as the most engaging fantasy sports platform,” Mudaliar shares.
He emphasises, “Retention is equally crucial. Our goal isn’t just to onboard users for one match, but to keep them engaged season after season. We achieve this through tailored promotions, personalized engagement initiatives, and consistently delivering the best second-screen experience for sports fans.”
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