KOLKATA: After a span of two years, the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off on home soil with much pomp and show during the quarter when it’s routinely played. However, with the alarming peak in Covid cases across the country, the Board of Cricket Council India (BCCI) came under intense pressure to suspend the tournament. As soon as the bio bubble was breached, the writing on the wall was clear – the board had no choice but to call off the event for the time being. Despite the controversy surrounding the IPL this time around, it has nevertheless entertained viewers in its nearly month-long run, perhaps serving as a distraction from the negativity all around, if one goes by the numbers.

According to latest data, Star India network has garnered a cumulative reach of 352 million in the first 26 matches of IPL 2021, compared to 349 million in the corresponding number of matches in IPL 2020 (Source – BARC TG: 2+U+R). Since acquiring the media rights for the league, Star and Disney India have tremendously grown the league year-on-year. The upward trend reflects the loyalty of the fans and the popularity of the Indian Premier League.

"We are humbled with the response to IPL 2021. While it's heartening to know that more viewers tuned in to watch this IPL season than the one in 2020 (at the same stage of the tournament), we still believe that postponing the season was the right decision to ensure the safety of everyone involved and in line with the prevailing situation in the country,” said a Star Sports spokesperson.

The IPL megacast with nine different feeds in multiple languages along with broadcast innovations – such as simulated crowd sound and dynamic audio – kept viewers equally engaged as the last season. The Star India network had earlier announced that it had clocked 323 million total impressions for the opening match of Vivo IPL 2021.

 The curtain raiser between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore received a tremendous response, bigger than opening matches of all other IPL editions held previously (other than Dream11 IPL 2020) and 42 per cent higher than the 2019 season. This year, nearly every third TV-owning household in India watched the opening match live.