Instagram and Threads Join the IPL Craze

It's that time of the year again when people rally behind their home teams and come together to cheer for the annual T20 cricketing extravaganza. Joining the cricket bandwagon is META, which is collaborating with content creators, specific teams, and India's leading broadcaster, Star Sports, to enhance the fan experience on Instagram and Threads.

Collaborating With Over 250 Content Creators:

The enthusiasm that people in India have for their interests is unparalleled. According to the 2024 GenZ Trend Talk report, more than 90% of teens identify themselves as part of a fandom, with cricket being one of their main interests. This was evident during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, which received over 16.9 billion views on ICC's platforms on Meta, and we are currently witnessing it as well.

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A post shared by Naveen Singh (@bihariladka)

META is collaborating with over 250 content creators to amplify discussions on Threads during the current tournament. Some of these accounts include:

• Teams: Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
• Experts: Ex-cricketer Akash Chopra, sports presenter Ridhima Pathak, and analyst Mufaddal Vohra.
• Creators: Naveen Singh aka bihariladka, Shreyas Mendiratta, and Deepika Venkatachalam.

"The current cricket fever is all about intense rivalries, passionate involvement, and a strong fan following. With platforms like Threads enabling fans and experts to voice their opinions and Instagram allowing fans and athletes to share moments and create unique content related to the games, we are dedicated to heightening this excitement through our partnerships and collaborations with creators from all over India. We're thankful to our partners like Star Sports as well for joining us on this journey." – Paras Sharma, Director, Content and Community Partnerships, Meta, India.

Partnered With Star Sports To Enhance Fan Experiences:

META has teamed up with Star Sports, as they did during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, to create engaging experiences for fans throughout the tournament. This is being achieved through regular interventions at various touchpoints.

'Ask Star': During a live match, fans can submit their questions to the commentary team at Star Sports on Threads, who will then select some to answer.

'Ajab Gajab T20 Challenge': Star Sports developed a one-of-a-kind concept where former cricketers and a group of content creators played a game of box cricket before the start of the tournament. The participants included cricketers such as Harbhajan Singh, Irfaan Pathan, and Steve Smith, as well as content creators like Naveen Singh, Dharna Durga, and Rishabh Shukla. This event was broadcasted on Star Sports and also made available on reels for fans to watch.

'Shor Squad': A group of selected creators will have the opportunity to have their reels broadcasted live during the matches.

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A post shared by Dharna Durga (@dharnaaaaa)

Partnering With Teams:

Meta has also partnered with Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders to host creator days, where content creators get a chance to interact and collaborate with the teams and players.