2014 FIFA World Cup will have 100 million viewers in India

The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be watched by 100 million viewers in India, according to a TOI report.

By contrast the 2010 edition had 62 million viewers and this considerable increase in viewership has benefitted broadcasters Sony Six. Interestingly the 2011 ICC cricket World Cup had 120 million viewers in India.

“Football is the second most watched sport in India after cricket. But that is changing very fast. Since 2011, the game’s viewership in India has grown by 134%, and 26% of the country's population aged between 16 and 69 watch it," Rohit Gupta, president of network sales with Multi Screen Media, which owns Sony Six, was quoted saying.

The advertising rates on television for the FIFA World Cup have not really matched the numbers of IPL 7, which was also telecasted by Sony Six, but according to Gupta, they are not coming cheap either.

The rates for a 10-second slot for the FIFA World Cup are valued at Rs 2.75 lakh compared to Rs 5 lakh for IPL 7. But the channel only has 800 to 900 seconds of advertising time to sell per match.

“Despite the challenges it poses to Indian advertisers due to nocturnal timings of matches and limited time slots, the FIFA World Cup is a fantastic vehicle for brands that want to connect with the youth, especially males," said Navin Khemka, managing partner with Maxus, a global media agency, servicing clients like Hero MotoCorp, Nokia and Perfetti.