Meta collaborates with over 250 content creators for IPL 2024

Delhi: This IPL, Meta has collaborated with over 250 content creators, partnering with Star Sports, and teaming up with specific cricket teams to enhance the fan experience on Instagram and Thread. 

According to the 2024 GenZ Trend Talk report, more than 90% of teens identify themselves as part of a fandom, with cricket being one of their main interests. This was evident during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 which received over 16.9billion views on ICC’s platforms on Meta. This stands true for IPL as well, said Meta. 

Meta has collaborated with teams such as Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. It has also roped in experts like former cricketer Akash Chopra, sports presenter Ridhima Pathak and analyst Mufaddal Vohra.

The list of creators includes Naveen Singh aka bihariladka, Shreyas Mendiratta and  Deepika Venkatachalam aka deepika_v__

“The current cricket fever is all about intense rivalries, passionate involvement and strong fan following. With platforms like Threads that enable fans and experts to voice their opinions and Instagram that allows fans and athletes to share moments and create unique content related to the games, we are dedicated to heightening this excitement through our partnerships and collaborations with creators from all over India. We’re thankful to our partners like Star Sports as well, to join in this journey.” – Paras Sharma, Director, Content and Community Partnerships, Meta, India. 

Here’s how Meta is leveraging its partnership with Star Sports: 

•  ‘Ask Star’ – During a live match, fans can submit their questions to the commentary team at Star Sports on Threads, who will then select some of them to answer.
•  ‘Ajab Gajab T20 Challenge’ – Star Sports developed a one-of-a-kind concept where former cricketers and a group of content creators played a game of box cricket before the start of the tournament. The participants included cricketers such as Harbhajan Singh, Irfaan Pathan, and Steve Smith, as well as content creators like Naveen Singh, Dharna Durga and Rishabh Shukla. This event was broadcasted on Star Sports and also available on reels for fans to watch.
• ‘Shor Squad’ – A group of selected creators will have the opportunity to have their reels broadcast live during the matches. 

“At Star Sports, our mission is to enhance the cricketing experience for fans across every platform. We are thrilled to bring the cricket extravaganza to life through our Creator Network program, joining hands with top creators and influencers to deliver an immersive experience by dialing up fan engagement, with initiatives like ‘Ask Star’ (Give fans a chance to ask questions to their favorite cricketing expert), ‘Dream Job’ (A chance to become an anchor on Star Sports) and the ‘Ajab Gajab T20 Challenge’ (A mixed team match between cricketing heroes & fans). Together with Meta, we’re redefining fan engagement and are committed to creating unforgettable money-ca-n’t-buy experiences for every cricket enthusiast, uniting fans in the spirit of the game.” – Vikram Passi, Marketing Head, Star Sports