What more can an IPL fan ask for, free live matches on Youtube…Great!
The IPL is set to be broadcast live on the internet. Google will partner with the IPL and show all matches of the 2010 season on a dedicated YouTube channel. First of its kind! Under the terms of the agreement, Google will have exclusive online rights for IPL content for two years and both parties will share revenues from sponsorships and advertising "We are thrilled to have the IPL as our global partner," said Shailesh Rao, a senior manager of Google India. "YouTube offers an open platform for sports and entertainment companies to take their content to a global audience and a great opportunity for advertisers."
The most significant aspect of the deal is the amount of control it gives the viewers, who will be able to customise their viewing experience by choosing between different camera angles. Additionally they will be able to freeze, fast-forward and rewind the feed, as well as watch replays at any time during the day, a choice that is unavailable to television viewers who are bound by broadcast schedules. The fans will also have exclusive feeds which are only showing on Google.
Lalit Modi, the league’s commissioner, told the Daily Telegraph, "We are now taking our event truly global for the first time. Google gives us access to 500 million pairs of eyes every single moment of the day. Modi said that despite the move towards the internet platform, which will provide the thrust for the IPL in its ambition to become a global brand, television will continue to remain an important focus area. "Television broadcasting still remains a massive focus for us all but this offers us tremendous potential for the future. Google has never done this before. This is a first for the whole of sport."
