By ASHWIN PINTO
Indiantelevision.com Team

(4 September 2008 10:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Neo Cricket is targeting ad revenues of Rs 2.7-3 billion from the two upcoming series that India plays against Australia and England.

The four-Test series against Australia kicks off on 9 October while India plays two Tests and seven ODIs against England.

Neo plans to rope in three co-presenting and five associate sponsors for the two series. This includes anchor partners Hero Honda and Perfetti with which Neo has long term deals.

"We expect to make Rs 2.7-3 billion from the two series. The timing is coinciding with the festive season. The sponsor categories we are looking at are beverages, retail, telecom, DTH, insurance, banking and automobiles," says Neo Cricket ad revenue executive vice president Sunil Manocha.

Manocha claims that most of the sponsorship spots have nearly been closed. He, however, refuses to divulge details on the rates that Neo is asking from advertisers.

Media buyers that Indiantelevision.com spoke to, however, feel that Rs 3 billion is an ambitious target. A more realistic figure would be Rs 2 billion with an outer limit of Rs 2.25 billion, they add.

With the Champions Trophy being deferred to next year, won't the money be freed for Neo to capture?

“It is not a cricket-versus-cricket comparison. Most of the big spenders have the option to channel that money into Hindi general entertainment and other mass genres," a media buyer says on request of anonymity.

Media buyers say Neo is asking Rs 70,000-80,000 for a 10-second spot while for the ODIs it ranges between Rs 175000-Rs 200000. Neo has 30 days of Test cricket and 7 days of ODI to sell.

What could make the situation difficult is that Test matches of late have not delivered. Mindshare's Amin Lakhani notes that the performance of the Sri Lanka series has been dismal. “All this is not to say that the Australia series will not fare well in terms of viewership or that advertisers are not interested. It is just that there is caution in the marketplace, even though the timing of the series is great. If Neo sells even 70 per cent of its inventory at the outer premium, it would have done well.”