How Cricket Evolved From The Chai Tapri To The Fan Arena
The ACKO Fan Arena gave fans a stadium-like experience when they could not go to these matches.
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It was the year 2011 and India had qualified for the Cricket World Cup final. The cricket fanatics who could not get their hands on the Wankhede tickets were milling around outside the stadium at the nearest tea stall. Everyone was on pins and needles as they watched each ball with great anticipation and expectation. Even those who were not die-hard fans were either glued to their TV screens at home or refreshing the scorecard on their mobile while at the office. Simply put, it was a moment of glory for India and emotions were running high.
When India lifted the coveted Cup after 28 years, the nation celebrated like no other. Besides seeing a huge business, the local “chai tapris” saw the birth of new friendships and sometimes even cricket commentators and analysts.
India has always been the ultimate home of cricket lovers. If anything, the love for the game has only amplified and technology has taken it to another level. In the last two years though, much of this enthusiasm shifted online. Where discussions would once happen at chai tapris, living rooms, pubs and bars, they became louder in Clubhouse rooms and on Twitter threads. And as the world slowly crept back to action after the pandemic, fans started looking at ways, activities, and events that can get them together in person. After all, cricket fever had once again gripped the nation with new teams being announced from different states, and fans geared up for celebrating on a bigger stage. HR officials were looking online to see if there were events blending in cricket and entertainment happening in the city. Families were excited about the prospect of living the stadium experience once again. The thrill of the match anxiety and the joy when the team you were supporting wins is unparalleled.
Fans, however, did not expect the setback of live matches being restricted to Maharashtra. Fans across the country were dismayed and explored ways of participating in the season despite not being around the stadium. As a result, this season saw the meteoric rise of online commentary, fantasy leagues, and unique live screenings that combined cricket and entertainment. And organizations like ACKO were front and centre in playing the role of a facilitator to bring fans closer to their respective teams.
It was with the intention of bringing fans together in person that ACKO conceptualized ACKO Fan Arena. They started bringing the matchday live experience to multiple cities by creating world-class drive-in experiences. It was a first-of-its-kind event in India, where people would drive in with their cars and watch the match live under the stars with their friends and family. Blockbuster performances were delivered by Kaam Bhaari of Gully Boy fame and Nishant Suri, the Amazon Prime Comicstaan winner. It was not just music and cricket, and apart from a live DJ, there were face painters, Insta Photo Booths, free food, and merch. Fans not only cheered for their favorite teams with their loved ones but bagged unforgettable memories.
These were grand events that saw about 80-100 cars and nearly 250 people at every event on an average. ACKO is the only brand that has launched such an initiative at such a massive scale. In a nutshell, they had over 1000 cars and over 2000 people attending cross-country events - 13 drive-in events with 2 events hosted in each city and 1 in Bangalore. The idea of recreating the stadium experience for fans in their city has been a huge hit since ACKO was able to bring fans the sheer joy and excitement of watching a cricket match live.
The first event took place in Ahmedabad on 8th April and the caravan has since traveled to Gurugram, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. The event was open for all and tickets were available across multiple popular platforms.
By bringing the matchday experience live, ACKO successfully unified die-hard cricket fans under one roof. They gave them the ultimate stadium experience through the launch of the ACKO Fan Arena and hope to do more such events in the days and cricket seasons to come.
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