Absence of CSK will not have major impact on IPL viewership, says Sony official

The company expects 15-20% increase in viewership this year

The absence of Chennai Super Kings (CST) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will not have a significant impact on the viewership of the upcoming season of the game, says Sony Pictures Network India (SPN), which is broadcasting the IPL 2016 in India and neighbouring countries.

Speaking to the reporters in Chennai, Prasanna Krishnan, executive vice president and business head, sports cluster - Sony Pictures Networks India said that IPL has gained more popularity and that regional marketing will help the company tide over the crisis.

It may be noted that CSK was suspended from participating in IPL for two years, along with Rajasthan Royals in the end of 2015.

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The TAM rating, the television audience measurement, for the previous IPL season shows that around 200 million people viewed the game and this is expected to go up by 15-20 per cent, this year, he added.

In order to increase the viewership, the company will broadcast the matches in the regional languages, which will also be broadcast at IPL fan parks, where BCCI organises live telecast in giant screens for large audience. This time, the IPL Fan Parks are to be hosted in 35 cities across the country.