IPL TV ratings continue to fall

IPL TV ratings continue to fall

IPL

MUMBAI: The fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), following the cricket World Cup, continues to put up a weaker performance compared to its earlier versions.

IPL 4.0 scored an average TVR of 3.84 for the first 59 matches, according to data from Tam Sports (six metros C&S4+). Last time the matches fetched a TVR of 6.36 compared to a rating of 4.66 in the second year and 5.39 in the first season.

The previous season‘s data for the 59 matches, however, includes the semifinals.

In IPL 4.0, the last 10 matches got an average TVR of 3.32. Only two of them crossed a TVR of 4. The highest rating was the match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab, which got a TVR of 4.42.

Overall, the highest rated match is still the first match which got a TVR of 7.77. It was the only match that touched a TVR of 7. Last year, five matches during the league stage touched a TVR of 7.

According to Alchemist managing director and promoter Manish Porwal, the vanilla reach of the IPL has gone up but people are spending less time on it. They are also coming back to it less often.

"There is fatigue due to the World Cup. The longer duration of the tournament has also affected ratings. There is a limit to the amount of cricket people are willing to watch," he says.

The addition of two teams has also added to the fragmentation. "Loyalties to some extent are being split. For instance, all of Maharashtra used to watch the Mumbai Indians. Now with Pune coming in, some people in Maharashtra have an interest in that team. The good news, however, is that the drop has not been as bad as was expected," says Porwal.