Advertisers take position as Viacom18 goes digital with FIFA World Cup

Viacom18's initiative to offer the tournament for free on JioCinema app expected to boost viewership

Cricket may be a religion in India, but when the FIFA World Cup arrives, brands do sit up and take note. With the quadrennial tournament just days away from launch on November 20, football fever is steadily growing.
 

This World Cup, interestingly, will stand out versus previous editions due to official broadcaster Viacom18's initiative to provide the tournament for free on its JioCinema app, across all telecom operators. This is the first time that any sports broadcaster in the country will do this for a marquee event, media industry executives said. There's a reason for this.
 

Digital sports broadcasting revenue,