While the FIFA World Cup, which takes place every four years, is arguably the most watched sporting event in the world, when it comes to annual sports events, there are really only two which take the cake, as well as a significant piece of a brand's annual advertising spends’ pie.

The Super Bowl, the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), which was first held in 1966, has come to exemplify cultural milestones and brands exercises for global audiences, who may still not know how American football is but still tune into the iconic halftime performances by the most popular artistes of the time, as well as the brand ads featuring favourite celebrities and recurring brand mascots from the Budweiser Dog (most recently replaced by Bud Knight for this year’s event) to the Colonel from KFC.

Closer home, the Indian Premier League has become the tentpole event for Indian audiences, brands, and even cricketers, both Indian and foreign, who do much to help the moments marketing segment with many viral campaigns for major advertisers. The 2023 Indian Premier League saw a staggering rise in advertising revenue, reaching ?10,120 crore, and enjoys a viewership nearly four times of the Super Bowl, though the cricket tournament is still crafting a legacy.

With JioCinema promising to make the upcoming season of IPL its biggest ever, and indeed into India’s Super Bowl, exchange4media asked marketers what the two sporting entertainments can learn from each other.  

“With the Super Bowl, the one thing that I always find interesting is the indulgence in film craft. It’s almost as if brands feel like they need to reward the audience with high entertainment value in return for their attention. And often this attempt leads to bringing in big celebrities seemingly for just their name,” says Suchana Sarkar, CBO, Makani Creatives.

“Case in point, Meghan Trainor in e.l.f cosmetics, the Bekhams in UberEats. But other than that, the lesson we can learn is that with the biggest brands fighting for attention, staying memorable comes down to creating memorable stories. One great example was Amazon’s Chonkpur Ka Cheetah, chronicling the journey of the mythical team from fictional Chonkpur to play in IPL,” she adds.

Manuj Tuteja, Head- Influencer Marketing, HypeSquad by Team Pumpkin, says that while the Super Bowl's long history offers invaluable insights in tradition and production value, the IPL's rapid expansion highlights the value of flexibility and a global viewpoint, demonstrating how a sports league can change swiftly to draw in top international players and captivate fans.

“The IPL could learn from the Super Bowl's ability to create a spectacle beyond just the game itself. The Super Bowl halftime show and commercials are often as anticipated as the game, drawing in viewers who might not be traditional sports fans. Incorporating more entertainment elements into the IPL could attract a wider audience and increase advertising opportunities." 

"The Super Bowl campaigns are famous for their storytelling and emotional appeal. IPL advertisers could take inspiration from this approach to create ads that resonate with viewers on a deeper level, beyond just promoting products or services,” says Tuteja.

Mitesh Kothari, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, White Rivers Media, says the IPL and Super Bowl both offer advertisers unique strengths. The IPL's season-long arc fuels team loyalty, while the Super Bowl's singular focus creates must-watch moments.

“They can look to each other for inspiration; the IPL can adopt the Super Bowl's entertainment-driven approach for broader appeal, while the Super Bowl can borrow from the IPL's extended storytelling to deepen fan investment,” he says.

 Campaigns like Sprite's collaboration with Bhuvan Bam during the Cricket World Cup prove that engaging with a passionate audience during those key moments could yield powerful results. Their ability to command premium ad rates lies in their distinct ability to deliver massive, engaged audiences in ways other events simply cannot.

Russhabh R Thakkar, Founder and CEO, Frodoh World, says that beyond traditional viewership metrics, the higher costs during such tent pole events reveal advertisers' acknowledgment of the need for exclusivity and differentiation in a saturated market. These events provide prime real estate for brands, offering a unique captive audience and emotional resonance.

“What IPL has done beautifully over the years is connect the celebrity choice with the sport and even origin states. Havmor, a homegrown regional milk-based dessert brand based out of Gujarat, became official partners with the home team, Gujarat Titans and featured their captain, Hardik Pandya in their maiden campaign. Connecting these dots adds a lot more depth to a brand’s narrative, and in turn aids the consumers to recall the brands through their favourite player or city nostalgia,” says Sarkar.