Disney Star, the official broadcaster of Tata IPL, said citing BARC data that viewership records for the first 10 matches of the marquee tournament has shattered all records, including those set during the pandemic when cricket lovers had to stay put at home and watched cricket.
Thirty five crore viewers tuned in to watch the live broadcast of the first 10 IPL matches, according to BARC data.
The never-dying craze for IPL is getting intense this year with fans already witnessing Sunrisers Hyderabad setting the highest run record by a team ever in IPL, while Virat Kohli is in a blazing form and in the running to bag orange cup – given to the tournament’s highest run getter. Moreover, the IPL this year has also produced new heroes such as Mayank Yadav whose pace bowling is praised by bowling legends globally, adding in a sense an Atmanirbhar moment for Indian cricket and IPL which often relied on overseas bowlers for super speed.
The total watch-time for the tournament on TV has surged to 8,028 crore minutes, marking a 20% increase from last year. Match ratings for the 17th season of the tournament have risen by 22% compared to the previous edition.
“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-centered initiatives that seek to drive passion and fandom for the tournament,” said Sanjog Gupta, Head – Sports, Disney Star. “The unwavering support and love received from fans and audiences alike is an affirmation of Star Sports’ belief in the aggregative capacity of IPL on TV as well as its potential for further growth,” he added.The broadcaster is also pegging the numbers to rise with the Rivalry Week between 8th and 14th April.Around 16.8 crore unique viewers had watched the broadcast of the 17th edition of the Tata IPL 2024 on the first day of the season, pushing the watch-time to a record high for the opening day of any IPL season. The watch-time on day 1 was registered at 1,276 crore minutes.
Meanwhile, JioCinema, owned by Viacom18, had clocked nearly 20 crore viewers in the first six matches of the Twenty20 cricket tournament which began on March 22, ET had reported citing people familiar with the development.
Disney Star is airing TATA IPL 2024 on 14 channels in 10 languages, including a dedicated feed in Indian Sign Language for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and Visually Impaired fans. The marketing campaign for the 17th edition of the tournament, titled “AJAB IPL KE GAJAB RANG,” centers around the insight that a fan’s true colors are revealed through their team’s journey in the tournament, with each IPL moment experienced uniquely by different viewers.
Star Sports this year has also partnered with Tata Play and Airtel Digital TV to offer IPL matches on 4K resolution and enabled Value Added Services.
