Exclusive: Marc Hayward's CricFan TV aims to bring Revolution in Fan Engagement in India

In the world of sports, the importance of the fans is not quantifiable but it is the heartbeat of each and every sports entity in the globe.

In India, the love for cricket is monumental. The players, and the sport itself have a massive value to people across the length and breadth of the country. Although Cricket has glamour attached to it, a new opportunity has arrived for the supporters to voice their opinions.

Mumbai-based CricFan has been making strides in the world of sports by making TV and digital content in India. Backed by notable figures in the sports industry, the company aims to enhance fan engagement with several new formats.

The mastermind of the new sensation, Cricfan founder Mr. Marc Hayward sat with MyKhel for an exclusive interview, where he depicted the visions and the thoughts behind CricFan TV.

The CricFan Programmes

CricFan has already developed three TV formats- 'FanzoneTV,' 'Cricket Chirps,' and 'Queens of Cricket'-with the latter highlighting women's cricket.

'FanzoneTV' is solely driven on fans and gives them a platform for vibrant cricket discussions.

The company celebrates and promotes women's cricket through 'Queens of Cricket.'

'Cricket Chirps' is a format which deals with fan discussions on a social media event.

This is a fresh approach in India and can pioneer fan engagement in cricket at a whole new level. The first and foremost thing about Cricfan, as said by Hayward, is fan engagement.

The Objectives of CricFan TV

At the core of CricFan's strategy is the emphasis on fan engagement and the celebration of women's cricket through their "Queens of Cricket" initiative. The platform's founders are confident about the positive trajectory of their venture, leveraging social media expertise and podcast production to connect with cricket enthusiasts across India.

"I play a part in a team of uh amazing people in India who contribute to making CricFan what it is today. These people are based in Mumbai. We have a great social media team, we have a great podcast studio and have a good set of producers that we've worked with from the beginning. We are very passionate about the fans we see them as the flagpole of the team and we want to provide content which is fan-driven. The main aim is to provide content which is fan-driven bearers of the sport and we also pay massive respects to uh women's cricket which is the fastest-growing sport in the world," Hayward says to MyKhel.

The Inspiration behind CricFan

Marc Hayward also says that the initial positive impact on English Premier League football in England played a part in launching the CricFan. The fan podcast and fan-driven content is much more common in England, and it is going to spread its wings in India.

Hayward says he watched an IPL match a few years back and envisioned the entire plan of launching CricFan TV.

"I watched an IPL game just a couple of years ago and I saw the fan atmosphere I saw the culture of cricket in India. I never thought I'd say this but it's bigger than football in England and I realized that if fan-driven content could work in the sport of football I wasn't arrogant to think it must work in India with with the fans. I started to speak and and collaborate with Indian producers and directors and talk to them about some vision that I had and they also had a vision," Hayward elaborates.

A Multilingual Content Offering for Indian Fans - The Vision of CricFan TV

The vision of CricFan extends beyond the boundaries of cricket, with plans to cater to the Indian diaspora by offering content in multiple languages and exploring opportunities in countries with a significant Indian population.

While their current focus remains on cricket, there's an openness to explore content around other sports, reflecting the platform's adaptability and ambition.

The initiative to support women's cricket through entertainment shows and collaborations is upcoming, as Hayward said.

"Our main focus is India the fans in India we want to keep that completely our main focus and as and if one day possibly we may look to take out. Our plans are to start doing content and launching new programs and content and channels in different languages for the Indian audience.

We have been asked recently by a broadcaster in India to do the show in Hindi and they've also asked if we could do it in another language as well. So we're now starting to see and I think it's you know with platforms like Jio with platforms like Star Sports they're starting to produce more content now in different languages yeah exactly because the regional people do like to listen to the discussions in their own language," said Haywards.

'Queens of Cricket' - One to Celebrate Women's Cricket

The concept behind the 'Queens of Cricket' is laudable and Marc Hayward says CricFan has succeeded in capturing the attention of cricket fans and professionals alike, thanks to strategic partnerships and a growing portfolio of engaging content.

"Everybody is celebrating the rapid growth in women's cricket in India. It's fantastic and having you know seen the growth and and and you know how the WPL is going we decided to put together queens of cricket. I'll be honest it's fantastic to be working on such projects you know the the camaraderie, the laugh & banter that comes from the podcasts from the TV shows they really are you know so I would say from an entertainment perspective they make a great show."

The Challenges

Hayward also clarifies that the sailing wasn't smooth early on as some of the bigger fishes of broadcasters were more interested in the traditional way. But the CricFan supremo says he is amazed by the reception they have seen so far and only focuses on growing bigger.

"It wasn't at first given the thumbs up. It was very clear that some of the leading broadcasters in the sports space in India wanted stats-driven content within the cricket space. I wanted to do in an alternate way as there's room and an appetite for other content as well and opportunities and I think that's what we clicked on with the Indian producers and directors. They have similar thoughts and we started to come up with ideas together," Hayward depicts.

The Key Strategic Breaks & Fan Involvement

CricFan was a new concept in India, but it has gained its pace after a few strategic collaborations, which must bring the necessary exposure for them.

"I think what has done us favours is getting our content onto the platform of Jio cinema by doing so we've created some strategic partnerships with My Team 11 and Fancode and other brands like this who have more cemented into that landscape. We're now having more interesting conversations and also with JioCinema, we've recently been approached by fan code to produce a 10-part series during the World Cup," he says.

Hayward admits that they will need time to grow further but is confident that their journey has been in the right and upward direction till now.

"We're definitely growing the right direction it seems as our platform and audience grows more people you know more professional players more professional platforms want to interact and discuss them. It's all about time and I think you know we are mindful that it will take some time to get to where we want but in terms of what we're working towards. We definitely want to grow a community an ecosystem which incorporates not just influencers but the Grassroot fans as they are the heartbeat and the flag bearers of the sport the DNA."

As Cric Fan continues to innovate and expand, the platform stands as a testament to the transformative effect of digital media on sports engagement. With plans to launch new programs and channels, and a willingness to explore content in languages beyond English, CricFan is poised to solidify its position as a pivotal player in the global cricket content ecosystem.