“The video had become viral overnight, and so taking the mauka (opportunity) thought forward, we decided to produce the second film for India versus South Africa match, and then India versus UAE.”

And for every match since, the broadcaster has bowled over Indian cricket fans with their sharp advertising.

Within hours of India beating the UAE on Feb. 28, for instance, STAR Sports unveiled a new advertisement for India’s upcoming match against the West Indies on Mar. 6.

“Our routine is to script for both outcomes of the next game,” the spokesperson explained. But each advertisement is tweaked before a match depending on the fan sentiment closer to the game.

The advertising masterstroke, however, would’ve been impossible without India’s strong performance at the tournament, starting with the encounter with Pakistan.

“The hope for India wasn’t that strong. Things changed after the first match (with Pakistan) went well. People got excited. Money started coming in. Second match got better. Even the broadcaster got excited,” brand strategy consultant Harish Bijoor told Quartz. “If the first match was lost (by India), everything would have been lost.”

Now, STAR Sports has increased the rates for advertisers on their channel by 25-30%—charging somewhere between Rs18 lakh ($29,032) and Rs20 lakh ($32,258) for a 10-second spot.

In the latest installment of the campaign, STAR Sports’ creative team has smartly aligned their advertisement with Holi. That’s because Mar. 6, when India and the West Indies face off, is also the day the subcontinent will celebrate the festival of colours.

“It’s a very desi kind of orientation that appeals probably to the Indians, but also a very global Indian diaspora,” Bijoor explained. “So it’s a certainly TRP (target rating point) building game, but a very positive opportunistic thing to do.”

If there is a winner even before the cricket World Cup has ended, it is STAR Sports.

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