IPL viewing gets off to a slow start

Ten days into the show, the country’s most hyped sporting extravaganza, the Indian Premier League cricket tournament’s fourth season (IPL-4), has failed to attract eyeballs.

According to data from overnight television rating agency aMap, the average for IPL-4 matches so far has been 2.5, compared to 3.4 last year. The average number of viewers per day rose 16 per cent, from 13.2 million in IPL-3 to 15.32 million this season, but, “Although the viewership numbers have peaked faster this season, the involvement level has gone down,” said an aMap executive. Involvement level is the the average time spent by a viewer during the match.

Media planners and industry officials believe with viewers still rejoicing with the World Cup win, it may take a while for the general interest to resurface.

The average rating per day for IPL-4 was expected to be 5, considering India’s matches had an average rating of 3.7 in the World Cup that got over early this month. The figure shot up drastically for the quarter-final, semi-final and final.

Riding on the success, the spot advertisement rates had shot up by 25-30 per cent. The rates for IPL-4 are Rs 5.5-6.5 lakh per 10 seconds of advertising. Industry analysts say SET Max, the official broadcaster, is expecting to earn Rs 1,000 crore revenue this season.

“The IPL started six days after the World Cup. There has been too much of cricket and fans do not seem to be enjoying the league matches,” said a media buyer.

However, there are many who believe IPL-4 will attract the crowds as the tournament progresses. “The appetite for cricket is insatiable in India. The audience is still recovering from World Cup mania. People are taking a breather and will get back to the game with the same zest; it is just a matter of time,” said a media buyer.

According to an aMap executive, there has been a marked increase in the loyalty factor that had been largely missing until now. For instance, the matches with Kochi Tuskers Kerala has seen a huge momentum after their performance against Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. “The rating was 2.3, while in Kerala it clocked a rating of 7,” he said. It was a similar story with Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.