WPL vs Champions Trophy: Who will win the viewership game?

The Women’s Premier League (February 14 to March 15) and the ICC Champions Trophy (February 19 to March 9) will overlap for the majority of their run.  

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ensured that the women's IPL (WPL) matches don't overlap with India's Champion's Trophy matches. This means viewership is not divided, but advertising and sponsorship spends might see impact. Brands with a limited budget must choose between the two.

The two-year-old WPL is yet to establish itself as a formidable platform for brands. In 2024, experts predicted that WPL will rake in 15-20% less in ad spend compared to 2023’s Rs 110 crore. This edition's clash with the Champions Trophy—dubbed the Mini World Cup—does not inspire hope. 

JioStar has promised brands a higher reach and longer watch time per user over WPL 2023.  

While men's cricket might weather the curbs on ad spend, women's cricket which is the first to take off this season will likely suffer. Krishnarao Buddha, a media and marketing expert, says Champions Trophy could fill its inventory as the event proceeds, especially if India and Pakistan take on each other in decisive matches. 

“The Champions Trophy comes before IPL, and WPL comes before both, making it even more vulnerable.”

Krishnarao Buddha, media and marketing expert

WPL's audience does not completely coincide with IPL or Champions Trophy that have a wider reach. Sample this, as per media reports TV viewership of WPL 2024 reached 103 million in the first 15 games where as WPL 2023 attracted half that on TV and OTT during the first 14 games. Meanwhile, IPL 2024 was watched by 620 million viewers on JioCinema alone. 

It then follows that, "advertisers seeking massive viewership might consider IPL and Champions Trophy," notes Rajiv Dubey, VP & head of media, Dabur India.

Dubey says while WPL ratings are lower than men’s IPL, the WPL is worthwhile considering its smaller format and lower pricing.

“With IPL and Champions Trophy, we reach light TV viewers who don’t watch sports regularly but tune in for these events.”

Rajiv Dubey, Dabur India

With multiple advertising opportunities, brands with a fixed cricket budget are having to split it between the three tournaments. According to White Rivers Media CEO and co-founder Shrenik Gandhi, most people prefer the Champions Trophy over WPL. 

“More premier league-style tournaments will come later, but the Champions Trophy offers a diverse mix of teams and players, making it more competitive and exciting—especially when India plays.” 

Shrenik Gandhi, White Rivers Media

However, Srinivas Rao, chief investment head at Wavemaker India, believes that BCCI's full support, female cricketers' growing popularity and spectator engagement could keep WPL gaining decent traction.

“WPL over the years has been able to create a niche for itself. It has had its own set of advertisers who have been present on the property.”

Scheduling overlaps are not new to sports broadcasting. Jigar Rambhia, the head of Fuse India, Omnicom's sports marketing arm, says that “the two tournaments provide complementary opportunities for brands to engage with diverse audiences, maximising their reach and impact.”

WPL 2024 and its teams managed to draw many sponsors, but the broadcasters did not garner as much interest from advertisers. Divya MS, business head of ITW 360, says early sponsorships for teams and the league are a great sign as these are usually long term deals and signal faith in the growth of the league. 

While sponsorships indicate long-term strategic investment, broadcast advertisers who buy FCT (free commercial time) have a short term outlook and invest only when the tournament is risk-free.

Also Read: Can IPL, Champions Trophy & WPL weather the storm of high inflation and low urban demand?

Joy Personal Care had been sponsoring IPL teams like Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals since WPL’s first edition. However, this year, after its deal ended, it has withdrawn due to limited inventory and lack of desired exposure with brands or franchises. 

Poulomi Roy, CMO, Joy Personal Care (RSH Global), says brands investing in WPL must prioritise purpose over sponsorship. 

“Simply associating isn’t enough—you must create meaningful narratives and have the patience to let them grow. Many lack that patience, but long-term commitment is key to real impact.”

Poulomi Roy, RSH Global

WPL's growth and challenges

The Champions Trophy attracts a wider audience due to its high-stakes format. The Champions Trophy features greater intensity and a more competitive edge, making it the more compelling event. 

Gandhi says "fans are looking forward to high-quality cricket and celebrating their heroes”. At the same time, WPL demonstrates a notable advantage in consistency. He predicts that for the next five years, WPL will be driven by storytelling. 

The BCCI has added two new cities to host WPL—Lucknow and Vadodara. Bengaluru which hosted the second edition and Mumbai the first continue to host season 3 as well. Buddha believes teams traveling across the country will build excitement for the franchise offline and online. The multi-location approach boosts fan engagement, stadium attendance, and anticipation, making it a high-impact property for advertising.

“The key to maximising this potential will be effective marketing, ensuring games are held in cricket-loving regions, and creating an engaging match-day experience. With these factors in play, the expansion could be a significant step in growing both the league and the popularity of women's cricket,” Rao says.

“WPL should help brands build their entire campaign to be designed around it. By creating opportunities to do a complete surround, it will ensure better traction.”

Srinivas Rao, Wavemaker India

Joy Skincare's Roy says WPL itself isn’t lacking anything—the real issue lies in deep-rooted industry pressures. 

“Marketers today are forced to show immediate ROI, which is killing the science of understanding consumer behaviour. This pushes brands to media properties that deliver instant results rather than investing in long-term narratives,” she says.

While Joy is yet to decide if it will advertise during the tournament, Roy says the ad rates are a major concern. She feels there should be some regulatory oversight to ensure brands can justify their spending. 

“Without it, planning loses merit, and it simply becomes a matter of who can afford to pay. Marketing exists to support business growth, and if we can't calculate ROI—short-term or long-term—it becomes unsustainable,” she says.

Also Read: Brands in a bind: Champions Trophy or bowling out for IPL?

Marketing strategies for success

A media expert on the condition of anonymity notes that WPL's biggest gap is a lack of strong marketing. The focus is heavily on digital, but a growing property like this needs an equally strong, if not greater, TV push.

“Broadcasters must invest in high-impact promotions, especially on TV, to maximise reach. With the right marketing, WPL will undoubtedly succeed,” he says.

The WPL is doing a lot of things right, including top-notch programming, focussing on the players' journeys, creating interesting storylines, and emphasising that the women's game is on par with the men's game in talent, which Divya believes will pay off.

“Fostering and growing the community of women’s cricket fans and their involvement in the game through deeper brand integrations may also prove to be impactful,” she says.