The India-Pak cricket series may not have the govt’s no yet, but advertisers are lining up by the hoards

A cricket series between neighbouring countries India and Pakistan, sharing a love-hate relationship with each other, is yet to be approved from the government, but it has already started attracting advertisers and sponsors. However, if media planners are to be believed, amidst the growing debates about religious intolerance in India, brands can be bit guarded.

As per the reports, Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, has already given his nod for the bilateral series to take place in December in the neutral country Sri Lanka in December, BCCI is yet to get an approval from the external affairs ministry.

In February this year, the World Cup match between India and Pakistan got a very high rating of 14.8 among males. The match was watched by 288 million people in India, thus becoming the most watched event in the country after the final of the cricket world cup that India won in 2011. This match saw brands paying 25 lakh rupees for 10 seconds of ad time, making it count in the highest ad rates ever for a cricket match.

However, amidst the heated debates about whether India is becoming more and more intolerant about religious matters, experts are of the view that brands would be a bit hesitant before spending too much. "In the current environment, brands will be a little reticent before taking the final decision," Nandini Dias, chief executive at media agency Lodestar UM, told ET. She, however, also said that all these matches between India and Pakistan appeal a lot to advertisers, wherever they might happen.

The last time India played a match against Pakistan was in India in December 2012; the series saw three one-days and two T20s. However, talking of test matches, there hasn't been one since 2007. Even the impending December series could see three one-days and two T20s. While Sri Lanka has emerged as the favoured destination, other venues were also considered.

The news however, didn’t get too much support on social media, because we soon saw the hashtag #NoCricketWithPakistan trending.

Image source