As the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) approaches, Rajasthan Royals is ready to enhance its content strategy both on and off the field. In a bid to deepen fan engagement, the franchise has partnered with FanCode, Dream Sports’ sports streaming and merchandise platform, to deliver non-live content to a massive audience.
With a substantial social media following of 25 million fans, Rajasthan Royals is now tapping into FanCode‘s 160 million users. Through this partnership, they will offer a range of non-live content, including podcasts, behind-the-scenes videos, player stories, and more. Jake Lush McCrum, CEO of Rajasthan Royals, explained the potential impact of this strategy: “Fans love watching the journey of Sanju Samson or Riyan Parag. They want to dig into their story. So the fans may start with an individual player story that turns into a love for the franchise.”
He emphasized that these longer-form, premium pieces of content are a unique offering, providing a contrast to the short-form content typically seen on social media. McCrum elaborated, saying, “There are fans who might want to dip into a bit of Dhruv Jurel’s life, like where did he come from? His dad was in the army. What did that lead to in terms of his story? Then fans also fancy a podcast.” This content, McCrum believes, will help build deeper connections with fans, who will be able to connect with the team beyond match days.
FanCode will introduce an exclusive “Royals Corner” to the platform, which will feature practice sessions, training videos, player profiles, exclusive interviews, and other non-live content. Yannick Colaco, co-founder of FanCode, shared his excitement for the collaboration, saying, “The Royals have got this extremely loyal fan base across the country, and we have built this one-stop destination where any Royal fan who wants to consume content… could actually come and get exposure on the digital zone.” He also noted that FanCode’s 160 million-plus user base would be exposed to exclusive Royals content, including videos, podcasts, and practice sessions.
The partnership with FanCode allows Rajasthan Royals fans to engage with the team year-round, not just during the IPL season. Colaco added, “The content will be exclusive interviews, videos, podcasts, practice sessions,” offering a unique opportunity for fans to engage with their favorite players and coaches, including Sanju Samson and Rahul Dravid.
Rajasthan Royals had the highest engagement rate last IPL season, with nearly 3 billion video views across their content. McCrum pointed out the growing demand for such content, saying, “There’s a massive hunger for content.” This partnership is poised to satisfy that demand by offering exclusive insights into the team’s journey.
In addition to cricket, FanCode has seen growth in the viewership of other sports. Colaco explained that while cricket still dominates the platform, they are expanding coverage of other sports like motorsports, football, and more. “We used to have about 10,000 live games in a year two years ago, of which 85-90 percent was cricket. This year will probably be about 20,000 games, of which 50 percent will be cricket,” he said. FanCode has also collaborated with brands such as FIFA+ and Real Madrid TV to bring premium non-live sports content to fans.
Through this partnership, Rajasthan Royals and FanCode are positioning themselves to meet the growing demand for engaging, non-live sports content, enhancing fan experience both during and beyond the IPL season.
