Last Updated on 6 months by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Whopping 350 million viewers have tuned in to watch IPL 2024 on TV in big ratings for the league
The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has reported that 350 million (35 crore) viewers tuned in to watch the first 10 matches of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. These figures only take into account television ratings on Star Sports.
The 350 million figure is the highest at this stage of a season in IPL history. It surpasses the strong figures set in the campaigns played during the COVID-19 pandemic where there were no crowds and fans were at home.
IPL 2024 ratings up 20% on 2023 edition
Sanjog Gupta, Head of Sports at Disney Star, said the broadcaster is overwhelmed by the record-breaking figures. Disney Star’s coverage spans 14 feeds in 10 languages, catering also for the deaf and visually-impaired fans in a special feed in Indian sign language.
“We are overwhelmed with the record-breaking viewing figures for IPL 2024. Disney Star has continued its commitment to fan-centric initiatives, which have undoubtedly resonated with viewers,” Gupta said.
“The immense support and love received from fans reflect the enduring appeal of IPL and its capacity for further growth. Our efforts to enhance the IPL viewing experience through broadcast innovations and engaging programming have been validated by these exceptional numbers.”
The total watch-time for the tournament surged to a huge 80.20 billion minutes; a 20% increase compared to 20%. Disney Star has committed a lot of effort in engaging different fan segments.
- New programming initiatives. This includes custom highlights and shows such as “Cheeky Singles” which is hosted by popular YouTuber Carry Minati.
- “Super Funday” program targeting children aged 8-12.
- Marketing campaign titled ‘AJAB IPL KE GAJAB RANG’ that captures the vast array of emotions that fans experience throughout an IPL season.
Ratings justify huge TV rights investment
The figures certainly justify the huge amounts of money put on the table by broadcasters for the IPL rights. The TV and digital media rights for the 2023-27 seasons were sold for a whopping US$6.2 billion in 2022. The result put the IPL second only to the National Football League (NFL) in terms of broadcast value per match.
Disney Star can look forward to another big week. April 8-14 is “Rivalry Week”, with a number of blockbuster games. These include Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders on April 8 and Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 11.
Jio Cinema, which own the IPL digital rights, are yet to share viewership data.
