Though television viewership for the cricket World Cup matches may be lagging behind the frenzy viewers show during the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournaments, audiences at multiplexes seem to have taken a greater fancy to the Cup.
PVR Cinemas, which has entered into an agreement with official broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) to telecast live matches featuring the Indian team in select cities, posted healthy occupancy rates during the first match on Sunday.
The India-England match, which ended in a tie on February 27, had an average occupancy of 40 per cent in theatres. Rahul Singh, senior vice-president, PVR Cinemas (operations), said: “We recorded occupancies which are significantly higher than that registered when IPL matches were screened last year. In IPL, loyalties are segmented across the country. In World Cup matches, fans cheer for the nation: the experience and the appeal is largely different.”
According to multiplex owners, the average occupancy rate for IPL matches was 15-20 per cent. On the opening day of the tournament, occupancy had been around 25 per cent. IPL-3 matches were screened in 200 multiplex screens last year. PVR Cinemas is showing World Cup matches in Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. “We got the permission for screening the matches late. We had scheduled shows and so could run matches only in three places. Besides, the first match could not be publicised properly because of constraints in time. We are expecting more viewers for the coming matches,” Singh said.
