Court Rules Meta & YouTube as 'Defective Products' (2026)

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 A Court Just Ruled That Instagram and YouTube Are Defective Products. Here's Why That Changes Everything. You already knew scrolling felt addictive. Now, a jury officially agrees. A California jury on 25 March 2026 made a historic decision by finding Meta and YouTube legally negligent for designing platforms in such a manner that hooked a child, destroyed her mental health, and then looked the other way. This isn't just a legal story. It's a story about you, your phone, and the billion-dollar machines built to never let you put your phones down. What Actually Happened? A California jury found Meta and YouTube liable on all counts in a landmark case that accused the tech giants of intentionally making a woman an addict and destroying her mental health. The plaintiff — a 20 year-old woman identified only as "Kaley" started using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9. By the time she finished elementary school, she had posted 284 videos on YouTube.   She told the ...
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How Brands Make Crores From IPL Marketing (And What Startups Can Learn)

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 How Brands Make Crores From IPL Marketing (And What Startups Can Learn)

You're watching your favourite batsman walk in, crowd goes wild and the cameras focusing on him. Suddenly you see "TATA IPL" on the scoreboard, a phone logo on the RCB jersey, unacademy logo on the boundaries and a Campa Cola ad before the next over.

None of that is accidental. Every single logo, every ad break, every Instagram reel from a cricketer holding a product or wearing it— that's a carefully planned, crore-worth marketing decision.



So how exactly do brands turn cricket into cash? Let's break it down.

First, How Big Is IPL Marketing Actually?

Very, very big out of your imagination.

IPL generates approximately ₹7,500 crore in advertising revenue every year — making it the single biggest annual marketing event in India. And it's only in its bull phase. Total IPL digital advertising spend is expected to hit ₹3,800–4,400 crore in 2026 alone. 

To put that in perspective — brands don't just "sponsor" IPL. They build entire campaigns around it.


How Do Brands Actually Spend This Money?

There are different levels — and different price tags.

  • Title Sponsorship — The Big Daddy Tata Group holds the IPL title sponsorship under a deal worth ₹2,500 crore running until 2028. Every trophy, every broadcast graphic, every official announcement — it says "TATA IPL." That's not just advertising. That's like cultural ownership.
  • Team Sponsorships — Jersey Real Estate When a player wearing a brand logo jersey hits a six, that brand gets instant fame due to batsman popularity and repeated telecast of six, do advertisement again and again in slow-motion. Companies like Ambuja Cement pay crores just to put their name on a jersey, a helmet, or a stadium board. If we talk about this season, Nothing phones sponsors RCB — meaning every Virat Kohli shot is also a Nothing phones ad.
  • Google Gemini just entered the game too — a sponsorship deal worth ₹270 crore between BCCI and Google's AI platform Gemini was signed this season. Even the biggest names in tech can't resist IPL's pull. 
  • Influencer Marketing — The New Frontier Brand and influencer collaborations during IPL is around ₹700 crore in 2026 and it is growing at roughly 40% annually. Brands are no longer just buying TV spots. They're paying creators to post reels, reactions, and reviews throughout the season.

What Do Brands Actually Get In Return?

A lot, if they play it smart.

IPL audiences are larger than ever — over 1 billion viewers, 840 billion+ minutes watched. That kind of reach simply doesn't exist anywhere else in India.

And it actually works brands die for such huge marketing. Data from previous IPL seasons showed TATA IPL advertising drove a 5.7% uplift in FMCG sales value — meaning people genuinely buy more of what they see advertised during matches meaning people genuinely buy more — just ask Domino's, whose IPL season sales spike every year. 

About 50% of creator engagement happens after the match ends — when fans break down moments, celebrate wins, or roast each other. Smart brands show up in that window too.


The Lesson for Everyone — Not Just Big Brands

Here's what's interesting: you don't need crores to learn from IPL marketing.The reason these campaigns work isn't the money — it's the strategy and the execution behind it. Brands show up consistently, they tie their message to emotion, they use multiple formats, and they don't disappear after one post.

Even a bootstrapped startup can find a profitable place in the IPL marketing ecosystem— through micro-influencers, meme pages, or regional creator partnerships.Cricket is just the trolley in the mall — attention is the actual product.”

And whoever captures attention — wins.


For startups specifically — you don't need a ₹2,500 crore deal. Start small:

  1. Partner with a local micro-influencer who covers cricket content
  2. Run IPL-themed offers during match days — "Score a deal like Kohli"
  3. Create meme content around IPL moments — free, viral, and on-brand

The brands winning IPL marketing in 2026 aren't always the biggest ones, generally they're the most creative ones.


Which brand's IPL campaign impressed you the most this year (2026)? Drop it in the comments.

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