Viacom18 attracted the most audience during the Olympics in India ever through both digital and linear channels with their debut Olympic streaming. As more individuals viewed Olympic content for longer periods of time in India, above 17 crore people accessed JioCinema as well as Sports18 Network, including a total viewing time over 1,500 crore minutes, according to the company’s press release.
As per the press release, Viacom18 broadcast the Olympics in four languages with a panel of knowledgeable former Olympians. It also included the largest-ever on-ground coverage by an Indian broadcaster, with a crew of more than twenty and a ground presence across six locations. The coverage of the Olympics in India was shown for the first time on 20 feeds at once.
It was the most watched Olympics ever since fans could watch their favourite events and Indian performers for free on JioCinema whenever and on any device. The best athletes in the world could be followed throughout Paris 2024 with the availability of three 4K curated feeds and 17 sports-specific feeds. Kiran Mani, digital chief executive officer at Viacom18, said, “Paris 2024 is a prime example of how non-cricket sporting action is continuing to grow in adoption amongst Indian audiences. Both the viewership scale and the enthusiastic advertiser participation bear testimony to that. Our endeavour is to constantly enhance the sports viewing experience, engaging sports fans across all screens and for longer, while giving advertisers the avenues and opportunities to reach their consumers most effectively.”
As per the press release, for the Olympics streaming in India, a record 69 brands took part in the advertising. As a result, advertising revenue increased by 2.6 times in comparison to the Tokyo Olympics. Reliance Foundation, SBI, and JSW were the co-presenting partners for the Viacom18 presentation. Associate Partners included Herbalife and Coca-Cola India Limited.
Other notable sponsors were RBI, AMFI, Aditya Birla Capital, Air India, Bacardi Martini India Limited, and MRF. The Paris 2024 presentation featured cutting-edge advertising features like split-screen commercials, four-sided pull support context-dependent items like Super Start, Winning Moment, Super Saves, and Branded Tabs on Medal Tally and Timetable, in addition to brand presence during significant India moments. These elements assisted advertisers in creating a connection between their brand and the event.