IPL 2026: The AI-Led Second-Screen Economy Takes Off

As India gears up for yet another high-octane season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), all eyes will be on the digital arena. In 2026, IPL is evolving beyond a television spectacle into an AI-powered digital ecosystem, where the primary screen (phones, tablets or smart TVs) is just one part of a multi-layered, immersive experience. 

Fans are no longer just watching the match – they are tracking statistics, asking AI for context, sharing clips, and buying merchandise mid-game. The tournament is turning into a real-time, “second-screen” economy where attention is fragmented, intent is immediate, and AI is increasingly becoming the layer tying it all together. 

In simple terms, second-screen viewing refers to use of a secondary device such as a smartphone or tablet while watching television or streaming video, often to engage with related content simultaneously.

No longer a peripheral habit, second-screen viewing is reshaping how Indian audiences engage with live sports. OTT platforms and AI companies are doubling down on this shift for the latest edition of the IPL, which generated an estimated ₹6,000 Cr in ad revenues last year. 

As a new season begins, we are witnessing the rise of a phygital era where a hyper-personalised, AI-driven second-screen ecosystem takes centre stage.

The Second-Screen Revolution

For years, second-screen meant sharing memes or scrolling through social media platforms like X to see what experts and other users were saying about key moments in a match. Now, that behaviour has evolved into a far more sophisticated, real-time engagement layer. 

“Cricket in India is no longer just watched, it’s experienced differently… 55% watch on TV, 54% stream, and over 90% are active on a second screen, like on Snapchat, or what we call a “parallel screen”. The second screen is where the consumers drop those raw, real reactions, connect and engage with their friends, and feel the buzz live,” said Yagnesh Ravi, the lead of ad solutions for social media platform Snap India.

As per a January 2026 report by InMobi and AppsFlyer, nearly 85% of surveyed cricket fans browsed social media, 57% ordered food and 30% shopped while watching games. 

Consequently, brands are rushing to capitalise on this trend. 

• Broadcasting: JioHotstar is redefining the viewing experience via its Hype Mode during IPL, which allows viewers to toggle between 12+ camera angles, access real-time player stats, and participate in live fan feeds and polls without closing the stream.
• Watch-Alongs: Dream11, which pivoted following the ban on real-money gaming last year, hosts watch-alongs on its app with influencers and former cricketers. 
• Social Media: YouTube remains the primary hub for post-match analysis and other supplemental content. Meanwhile, Snapchat leverages its augmented reality (AR) lens and content from popular creators to drive interactive engagement.
• Adtech: InMobi’s Glance leverages AI to deliver personalised content to lock screens or via browser notifications. Other smaller new-age tech ventures are building the underlying infrastructure for real-time interaction.
• Big Tech: Google has partnered with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to sponsor IPL and offer deep insights via its AI mode (Gemini). Meta is leveraging local-language AI for personalised content feeds.

The New Gold Rush

The rise of the second-viewing experience in India is being driven by a convergence of factors, including high-speed internet penetration, affordable smartphones, and a deeply entrenched mobile-first content culture. 

Viewers rely on mobile phones for real-time statistics and interactive trivia, which drive massive second-screen engagement. The large total addressable market (TAM) for this segment is prompting brands to tap into this fast-scaling opportunity. 

Breaking it down, a Dream11 spokesperson told Inc42 that the audience size for live matches varies anywhere between 40 Cr to 50 Cr, while connected TVs add another 10 Cr users. Citing an internal research, the spokesperson said 80% of customers use a second screen during live matches. This translates into a “fairly large” market for the second-viewing platforms. 

“… Why do people still go to stadiums? It’s for the experience. It’s to be part of the crowd, to feel the emotion, and to experience it as a community — that adrenaline. So our intent is: why not have the equivalent in a digital form? A kind of digital stadium where you have like-minded sports fans and creators relevant to sports — from general creators to former cricketers — all on the platform,” the startup said, citing the rationale for its watch-along offering. 

The sports tech startup added that its watch-along offering saw 50 Lakh users interact with the platform on a single day during the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with multiple creators getting 1 Cr views in a single day. Dream11 has now lined up 100+ creators for the 2026 IPL season and is projecting to cross nearly 5 Cr users during the tournament. 

This surge in digital “stadiums” has transformed the second screen from an experimental playground into a high-velocity marketplace.

From Boundaries To Shopping Carts

The second screen has bridged the gap between entertainment and commerce in ways traditional TV advertising never could. AI-led discovery engines now enable fans to identify what cricketers are wearing on the field, check prices, and purchase merchandise within the span of a bowling change.

Beyond this, IPL 2026 is expected to see platforms double down on monetisation through shoppable video, real-time commerce, and hyper-personalised promotions.

And there is much at stake. IPL 2025 recorded massive viewership, with around 100 Cr viewers tuning in across television and digital platforms. As more users flock to second-screen platforms, brands are lining up to tap into this growing engagement.

To attract advertisers, Snap India has rolled out a suite of integrations for “live sports moments”, including live sports APIs and branded AR lens.

“With 85% of the Gen Z cohort tuning into IPL, the brands that will win are those that show up in ways that feel natural to how this generation engages, more like part of the experience, turning cultural attention into tangible, measurable business outcomes,” added Snap India’s Ravi.

The IPL is no longer just a broadcast event – it is rapidly evolving into a real-time, AI-powered engagement economy where content, commerce, and community converge. As second-screen behaviour becomes mainstream, the real battleground is shifting from who owns the stream to who captures user attention across screens, and more importantly, who can monetise it most effectively.

Edited by Vinaykumar Rai

The post IPL 2026: The AI-Led Second-Screen Economy Takes Off appeared first on Inc42 Media.