Defending champions Chennai Super Kings’ win in the opening match of IPL-4 against the Kolkata Knight Riders, seemed to have hooked the viewers to television sets for longer periods.
According to data provided by overnight television ratings agency aMap, the match, telecast on SET Max, may have a clocked a 3.2 rating, which is similar to that of previous editions but the involvement level (the average time spent by a viewer) was 55 minutes, which is 40 per cent higher than the previous season.
This implies the interest in the game has increased over the past two years. IPL -4 ratings show the involvement per viewer was 55 minutes, while IPL-3’s day one showed 38 minutes per viewer (Chennai Super Kings v/s Mumbai Indians) and IPL-2’s first match showed 49 minutes per viewer(Royal Challengers v/s Rajasthan Royals).
However, IPL-2 had a 3.2 rating, while IPL-3 had 3.1 — implying there has been no significant spike in ratings. Most industry watchers will wait for the TAM ratings —which most media agencies consider for a full analysis. Media planners say initial ratings suggest the excitement will build up as tournament progresses.
“Unlike the previous years, there were only a few days between the tournament and India winning the World Cup. Hence, not much brand building has happened this year. The viewership will increase as we move ahead,” said media buyers. Media planners and buyers suggest IPL viewership is expected to grow by 20 per cent from 143 million that the tournament clocked last year. “We have seen this trend from the first edition of the tournament, when the viewership was about 90 million. The number has now jumped significantly. The trajectory is expected to continue this year too,” said Rohit Gupta, president, Multi Screen Media, which owns SET Max.
SET Max, the official broadcaster of the tournament, expects to rake in a plum Rs 1,000 crore in ad revenue, up from about Rs 700 crore it pocketed last year.