The upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season is bringing together cricket enthusiasts, but behind the scenes, a dispute is brewing between top advertisers like Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Disney+ Hotstar. The issue revolves around the mismatch between what was promised and what’s being delivered for ad campaigns. HUL, India’s largest FMCG company, has been consistently the country’s top advertiser, but they have received complaints from customers who have seen the same ads repeated multiple times on OTT platforms.
A senior HUL executive describes the experience as “spamming a user with the same ad” when they saw the same Dove and Surf Excel ads as many as 150 times within a week. With ad rates on Disney+ Hotstar increasing by at least 50% during the season, HUL is concerned that spending extra money to overwhelm users with ads doesn’t add up. The company, which spends nearly Rs 4,000 crore on ads annually, cannot afford to ignore these complaints, especially during the highly anticipated IPL season that attracts millions of viewers.
The issue has led to a heated debate between top marketing executives and product managers from both HUL and Disney+ Hotstar. The IPL, which starts on March 21, is expected to attract over 600 million viewers, making it a prime opportunity for advertisers. However, the quality of ad campaigns will be crucial in determining the success of both parties. As the season begins, it remains to be seen how Rishabh Pant will perform on the field and whether Virat Kohli can lead Bengaluru to a legendary win, but in the background, the battle between HUL and Disney+ Hotstar will be a closely watched spectacle.