Players grab all attention but cricket is sustained by fans, it’s a solid vote bank. IPL demonstrates they run the game and ensure cricket suffers no slowdown or spectator fatigue. With fans voting for cricket, matches are repeatedly sold out, TV viewership keeps rising and sponsors happily write out big cheques.
Fans are the core of cricket’s multi-crore commercial universe and its expanding ecosystem. Despite this fundamental truth, cricket neglected and exploited fans, taking them for granted. There is occasional talk of a ‘fan first’ policy that respects its supporters, but this remains a hollow slogan, much like an election manifesto promise.
Two developments however made a positive change for fans. IPL, given its commercial character, realised it needed fans as allies for monetising media rights, building team loyalty and attracting fun-loving spectators to the cricket carnival.
ALSO READ: Prithvi Shaw names Rishabh Pant as the best finisher among young Indian players
As part of its cricket clean up act, the Supreme Court also chipped in with support for fans. In a telling observation, it said fans owned the game and officials only had an administrative responsibility. The court-approved BCCI constitution acknowledged the primacy of fans.
Such affirmation led to a growing understanding about their importance but a bigger change was triggered by fans themselves. Earlier, the average awe-struck fan lined the streets to catch a glimpse of players driving past in the team bus, or stood in the hotel lobby for a selfie that didn’t happen.
{{/usCountry}}Such affirmation led to a growing understanding about their importance but a bigger change was triggered by fans themselves. Earlier, the average awe-struck fan lined the streets to catch a glimpse of players driving past in the team bus, or stood in the hotel lobby for a selfie that didn’t happen.
{{/usCountry}}Now, in a digital India, the fan is vastly different, no less passionate but more demanding. He will still endure a lot to watch cricket but being tech savvy and knowledgeable, he is not a passive consumer anymore but engaged, connected. Even while watching matches he is busy on his smart phone with friends, furiously texting/discussing/commenting on action. The transformation is truly game-changing. The fan is now a player!
In this journey from passive consumption to active participation, the fan challenges himself by taking part in fantasy sports games online. Excited about testing his knowledge, he can play for free or pay a small entry fee to compete with the prospect of earning money. In IPL, for instance, he picks the playing eleven for both teams based on form, team balance, pitch and weather. This requires skill given IPL teams have a 25-member squad and selection must factor in many variables, not least the four foreign player rule.
Fuelled by fan interest, internet penetration, low data rates and smart phone usage, fantasy sports companies are booming. MS Dhoni endorses the industry leader while there are other players too in the market, gaming companies led by Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Prithvi Shaw. In addition, in the background, 300-plus coaching institutes offer expert advise to fantasy sport gamers. Cricket is the favoured sport, but there is considerable interest in football and kabaddi too.
With the numbers growing, that of operators and users, the fantasy sports industry adds a new dimension to sport.
It is the fan who is the real winner – he now has greater skin in the game.