Cricket on YouTube could be a sign of things to come
Published March 19, 2010
Until quite recently, online sports viewing has been very much on the sidelines compared to the traditional televised model. But several recent events - including the exclusive webcast of an England vs. Ukraine soccer match - have unsettled the conventional wisdom.
In fact, one groundbreaking recent deal will see the Indian Premier League exclusively broadcast over YouTube. The IPL is the first major professional sporting body to sign such an agreement, and digital marketing experts have lauded the league's foresight.
Google announced on its blog that "the IPL season is a 60-match, 43-day tournament that features some of the best talent in cricket today. You can come to YouTube and keep up with the action any time, anywhere and connect with fans across the globe."
The IPL, according to Forbes Magazine, is the "world's hottest sports league," with a strong fan base in a cricket-crazy nation ready to watch as many matches as possible - whether online or off. Additionally, the extensive Indian expatriate community could boost YouTube viewership to astronomical levels.