New Delhi, Aug 25 : As cricket fever grips the nation with only days to go to the Asia Cup followed by the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, the second edition of Disney+ Hotstar's Festive Shopping Sentiment Survey has found that shoppers this festive season are likely to increase their spending by 14 per cent over last year, driven by a 12 per cent increase in the size of their shopping baskets. Coinciding with India's biggest festive season, both Asia Cup and The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 will provide marketers with the best opportunity to leverage the cricketing properties and influence the positive spending sentiment observed in the second edition of Disney+ Hotstar's Festive Shopping Sentiment survey. Additionally, the platform has lifted its paywall for mobile and tablet only viewers for both the tournaments, thus democratising the game for more than 540 million smartphone users across the country. The free streaming of the two widely watched sporting events will enable a lucrative avenue for marketers to make a mark in consumers' minds before the festive season. As per the Festive Shopping Sentiment survey, 9 in 10 consumers expressed a healthy appetite to spend for the upcoming season. With an average budget of Rs 17K, shoppers are predicted to boost their spending by 14 per cent compared to the previous year. This will be fueled by a 12 per cent rise in shopping basket size, with the most popular categories being clothes, mobile phones, and health and beauty. Festive bonanzas, such as brand and cashback incentives, discounts, and other promotions, can influence customer mindsets even more. The survey also found that consumer spending is expected to be heavily influenced by online ads. It is prone to sway towards online shopping, with 60 per cent of consumers discovering brands and services through online platforms as they shop for themselves and for gifting purposes. Accompanying the online shopping sentiments of 7 out of 10 shoppers, digital payment options too recorded a 36 per cent preference, with UPI in the lead. Ajit Varghese - Head of Network - Ad Sales, Disney Star said, "With the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 and ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 being free-to-view to all mobile phone users, Disney+ Hotstar is poised to become the prime digital platform for marketers. This especially holds true for the Cricket World Cup, which returns home after a hiatus of 12 years, right before the peak festive season kicks in. Safe to say that all eyes are going to be on the action on the ground, making it a once-in-a-decade opportunity for brands looking to make the most out of the festive fervor among consumers." Disney+ Hotstar is set to revolutionise Live Cricket advertising during the upcoming Asia Cup and ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 with the launch of its self-serve platform. The platform is also offering over 75 targeting parameters (previously 35) that can be cross-tabbed to combine multiple parameters for granular reach and caters to all ticket sizes (from Rs 2 lakh to upto 50 lakh). Additionally, special rates have been introduced that are at par with leading UGC platforms. Starting at just Rs 49 for non-India matches, and a special package for India-only matches at Rs 149. /IANS