The Indian Premier League (IPL), the most popular professional Twenty20 cricket league in the world, has recorded an unprecedented viewership of 35 crore in its first 10 matches of the 2024 season, according to data released by event's official broadcaster, Disney Star.
This surpasses the viewership numbers of any previous edition of the tournament, including the seasons played during the COVID-19 pandemic, and allays fears of digital eating into traditional broadcasting viewership.
The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data released by Disney Star reveals that the overall watch-time for the tournament has skyrocketed to 8,028 crore minutes (80.28 billion minutes), which is a remarkable 20 percent increase compared to the previous year.
"We are overwhelmed with the record-breaking viewing figures for TATA IPL 2024. Disney Star has started the 17th season from where it left off last year, doubling down on fan-centred initiatives that seek to drive passion and fandom for the tournament," Disney Star said.
To cater to the diverse linguistic and accessibility needs of the fans, Disney Star is broadcasting the IPL across 14 feeds in 10 languages. Additionally, a special feed in Indian Sign Language has been introduced for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and Visually Impaired fans, ensuring that the tournament reaches a wider audience and promotes inclusivity.
The IPL 2024 season kicked off with a blockbuster opening match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22, which attracted an impressive 16.8 crore (168 million) viewers. Furthermore, the opening day registered a watch-time of 1,276 crore minutes (12.76 billion minutes), setting a new record for the highest-ever watch-time for the first day of any IPL season.
The watch-time minutes, which represent the cumulative time spent by each viewer watching the game, serve as a crucial metric for gauging the engagement and popularity of the tournament. With these impressive numbers, the IPL continues to cement its position as one of the most-watched sporting events in the world, captivating fans and showcasing the immense potential of cricket as a global sport.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has established itself as one of the most valuable sports properties in the world, and the broadcasting and streaming rights for the tournament have been highly coveted by media companies. In June 2022, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) conducted an e-auction for the IPL media rights for the 2023-2027 cycle, sparking intense competition among industry giants.
Prior to the auction, Star India (now known as Disney Star) held the consolidated media rights for the IPL from 2017 to 2022, having acquired them for a record sum of INR 16,347.5 crore (approximately $2.55 billion at that time) for the five-year period. However, for the 2023-2027 cycle, the BCCI decided to split the media rights into four categories: Package A for TV rights in the Indian subcontinent, Package B for digital rights in the Indian subcontinent, Package C for non-exclusive digital rights for 18 selected matches, and Package D for TV and digital rights for the rest of the world.
The e-auction witnessed fierce bidding from several media powerhouses, including Disney Star, Sony Pictures Networks India, Viacom18, and Times Internet. When the dust settled, Disney Star emerged victorious in securing Package A, the TV rights for the Indian subcontinent, with a massive bid of INR 23,575 crore (approximately $3.02 billion).
Viacom18, backed by Reliance Industries, made a strong statement by winning both Package B (digital rights) and Package C (non-exclusive digital rights for 18 matches) for Rs 20,500 crore (approximately $2.63 billion) and Rs 2,991 crore, respectively. Package D, encompassing TV and digital rights for the rest of the world, was jointly awarded to Viacom18 and Times Internet for Rs 1,058 crore.
The combined value of the IPL media rights for the 2023-2027 cycle reached an astonishing INR 48,390 crore (approximately $6.2 billion), setting a new benchmark for sports media deals worldwide.
(with inputs from PTI)