How Escape Velocity’s collab with Viacom18 for IPL can be game-changer for advertisers

Escape Velocity has announced Viacom18’s partnership with Sizmek by Amazon (SAS) as a preferred measurement partner for the upcoming Tata IPL 2023. Viacom18, the digital streaming partner of Tata IPL, is revolutionising the digital broadcast space and changing the digital video consumption landscape with never-seen-before features. Sport fan can now enjoy Tata IPL 2023 live and in real-time. 

For advertisers, this partnership is a game-changer. Viacom18 digital offering is validated by Sizmek measurement protocols for impression and click tracking and geo-location. Advertisers can now validate their campaign reports and gain valuable insights through the third-party ad server Sizmek.

Raghu Seelamsetty, CEO, Escape Velocity, a digital media technology services company, says that this is a great opportunity for brands to be a part of sporting history. In this interview with Adgully, Raghu Seelamsetty speaks about how Escape Velocity will work with Viacom18 for the IPL tournament, how this partnership with Viacom18 is a game-changer for advertisers, the great opportunity for brands, etc. Excerpts:

How will Escape Velocity work with Viacom18 for Tata IPL 2023?

Escape Velocity, along with the Sizmek Ad Server, will provide measurement solutions for agencies and advertisers to understand the delivered impressions of their campaigns along with understanding where their viewers were coming from.

How is this partnership with Viacom18 a game-changer for advertisers?

Sizmek by Amazon and Viacom18 are coming to market with a simple, proven and tested solution that supports the large concurrent users that will be watching the Tata IPL. This solution offers a seamless way for advertisers to validate their spends via a trusted third party.

How do you think this is a great opportunity for brands to be a part of sporting history?

The Tata IPL is projected to be the largest IPL so far. It’s a great opportunity for brands to get in front of a large, highly engaged audience from across the country.

How will the upcoming IPL be different from the previous ones for brands and advertisers?

This year’s IPL has several notable features. One of them is that it is completely free to users. This move has the potential to increase the accessibility of the sporting event to a broader audience. The Tata IPL will also be available in various Indian languages, allowing an even larger group of people to engage with and enjoy the tournament.

Do you think the sports broadcasting dynamics are changing with the arrival of streaming? Will sports shift to streaming platforms completely in the times ahead?

Traditional TV viewership is declining, and to increase engagement on mobile phones and Connected TVs (CTVs), various features such as multiple camera angles, analysis, play-alongs, feeds in different languages, and other interactive options are being made available. Although the CTV universe comprises only about 10% of the total TV households, it offers a premium viewing experience. Many consumers who previously had HD connections have either switched to CTV or are in the process of doing so, as the interactivity and 4K resolution video streaming available through CTV are preferred over traditional television viewing. 

Streaming will become the dominant platform in the very near future.

What are the latest trends in the domain of measurement?

Cookies and other digital identifiers, which have been a fundamental building block of digital measurement, have been on their way out. This has made the job of measurement providers more complex.

We see a strong momentum towards machine learning-based algorithms for measurement in both addressable and non-addressable media. Sizmek by Amazon is a leader in this space.