Week Nine: IPL and Hollywoodisation

When considering an entertainment industry affected by 'Hollywoodisation', I have decided to focus on a slightly alternative category besides from film, music, television or video games. One of the largest entertainment industries in the world- the sports industry, hasn't been immune from 'Hollywoodisation', with the global game of cricket particularly affected. For the purpose of this post I will focus on Twenty20 cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League (IPL), and how it has been 'Hollywoodized'.

The IPL, originally established in 2007, exhibits many characteristics of 'Hollywoodisation'. According to the Oxford Dictionary, 'Hollywoodisation' is the 'adaption of a story or series of events so as to conform to the supposed norms of a typical Hollywood film, especially in respect of being unrealistically glamorous, exciting, or simplistic.'

A traditional sport, often referred to as the 'gentleman's game', cricket in India has undeniably been made more glamorous and exciting in recent years. The IPL, known for its phenomenal commercial success, utilises many Hollywood-like techniques to draw in more fans. Entertainment such as cheerleaders and fireworks (more commonly associated with American sports such as baseball and basketball, rather than the traditionally conservative sport of cricket) are a centrepiece of the entire show surrounding the IPL. The embracement by Indian cricket authorities of 'gimmicks' most commonly associated with American sporting events, demonstrates what Klein (2004) refers to when discussing 'Hollywoodisation'- a story of 'integration and denationalization'.

Image by neeno sports

Another exciting technique used to boost the profile of the IPL was the online streaming of the entire tournament via YouTube. The IPL became the first sporting event to be broadcast live on YouTube when the agreement was reached in 2010. This innovation was another technique employed by tournament organisers to 'Hollywoodize' the tournament.

The 'Hollywoodisation' techniques outlined above received mass media coverage when first employed and were immediately recognisable to long-time cricket fans. Due to the traditionally conservative nature of cricket (especially in India), the 'gimmicks' used during the IPL were an obvious example of how an entertainment industry can be involved in a process of integration and denationalization- otherwise referred to as 'Hollywoodisation'.



References

Klein, C 2004, 'Martial arts and the globalization of US and Asian film industries', Comparative American Studies: An International Journal, Sage Publications, London