RCB celebrates Kannada heritage, embraces nat’l diversity with multilingual content strategy

BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has long been a pioneer in the world of sports and digital content, with a fanbase that spans the globe. Over the last five years (2020-2024), RCB has consistently ranked as the most engaged IPL team on social media, setting new standards for how sports organisations connect with their audiences.

As part of its ongoing commitment to inclusivity, RCB is now taking the next step in expanding its reach with a bold, multilingual content strategy. Building on its strong ties to its Karnataka roots, RCB is deepening its connection with its fans by offering content in multiple languages, with Kannada as the first launch on the day of Karnataka Rajyotsava.

RCB’s Kannada Instagram page, launched recently, saw a tremendous response, amassing over 1.6 lakh followers in just one month. This highlights the team’s dedication to its local fanbase, while also reinforcing the importance of engaging in the native language to foster a deeper and more personal connection. With this digital strategy, RCB aims to make player stories accessible to all cricket lovers.

In addition to the content creation for the Kannada page, RCB is working on dubbing content into multiple Indian languages, celebrating the vibrant culture and spirit of the country, with Karnataka being at the forefront. The franchise felt encouraged seeing the enthusiasm of fans for the first regional Kannada page to continue bringing fans closer to the team while embracing and celebrating the diversity of its supporters.

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Speaking on the initiative, Rajesh V Menon, Vice President and Head of RCB, said, as quoted by the press release, “As we have seen, RCB is always a fixture of conversation, and it is only a testament to how much this franchise resonates with its supporters. Our fans care deeply about our core values and feel personally connected. Their support truly humbles us, and we remain committed to keeping fans at the heart of everything we do.

“At RCB, we believe in embracing the challenger spirit. We need to make the change we want to, push further, and go beyond what others are willing to do–never settle, but spot opportunities for positive, inclusive change and progress. Because we believe greatness comes to those bold enough to challenge the status quo. I am confident our fans will love and embrace this inclusive initiative, which brings alive the true spirit of RCB of being Born in Bangalore, to thrill the entire nation.”

“As our fan base also continues to grow and evolve, RCB plans to embrace and celebrate the diversity of our fans by adopting a multilingual approach to regional content. RCB plans to dub over 1,000 videos created each year into various Indian languages using advanced AI technology, ensuring that the dubbed content sounds as natural as if the cricketers themselves were speaking in these regional languages, enhancing fan experience. RCB’s multilingual expansion plans include Hindi, and Telugu content in 2025, followed by Malayalam, Punjabi, and Bengali in 2026”, he said.

RCB has one of the biggest fan bases in India and globally, with passionate supporters tuning in to watch the team play from all corners. This vast following allows the team to connect with people on a deeper level and share their love for cricket across different regions.

Reflecting a broader trend highlighted by a recent FICCI-EY report — regional content on OTT platforms grew from 47 pc to 52 pc between 2021 and 2023, now dominating over half the market, with projections to reach 55 pc in the coming years — RCB’s multilingual content strategy is a step towards embracing this growing demand and resonating with fans in their own languages. (ANI)