Fans Tune Out Of IPL: TV Viewership Slumps, 31% Drop In Brand Advertising

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:11]Other big business that we are talking about tonight is the business of sport and the business of cricket. Now, there is a big change happening over there because it's a huge franchise when we talk about the Indian Premier League, the IPL. But, the latest ratings when it comes to television, this is the box data that we're looking at, the TAM sport data that we're looking at, is showing a drop in viewership and average fall of 26%.

[00:00:35]What does it indicate? Is it all about you know, how we're watching our cricket matches? Because there is a lot of you know, screens that we watch cricket on. Is that moving? And is that fragmentation really showing the real picture right now? How are sponsorships dwindling as well? And that is an entire game in itself when you talk about the big franchise model of Indian cricket, which is the IPL. There are big shifts that are happening. We have this question hence about IPL. Now that you're seeing that slump in TV viewership, what is it really indicating? Has franchise cricket peaked too soon? Let's take that across to our panel and we have former cricketer Atul Wassan joining us on the show today. And of course, joining him is Nikhil Paramjit Sharma.

[00:01:22]He's the founder and CEO of Zlete Sports Management. Great to have you both.

[00:01:26]Welcome to the big question, Atul. For years, the IPL was seen as cricket's most exciting product. But, now the question is has the cricket itself become too predictable? The pitches, the 220 run totals, very little balance between bat and ball. It's so much about the batting. Has that fundamentally shifted audience interest?

[00:01:48]Well, I think there are three three parts to your answer if I may. Okay. So, there is one of law of diminishing returns. Is too much of cricket on similar kind of content all year round and just 20 days after the World Cup you try to throw down these 74 matches over 2 months under the in the throat of the hardcore fans is too much. Secondly, I think there's economic factor as well where you know there's the the real gaming money real real money gaming fantasy leagues has been taken out of the equation so that personal skin in the game and my investment has gone out so that is also taking away a lot of large chunk of people who were actually invested in in the in the match every day. And I think the third thing is that the cricket point of view which I'm I'm loath to saying that but I hardly watch T20 game because first of all the hyperbolic commentary English commentary is still okay if you listen to the Hindi and the regional commentary is cringeworthy and I I feel sorry for to see the great players of the past bow down to the to the mandate of the channels to shout over the top and you don't know when because every match seems like I'm watching highlights and 200 plus scores are being scored chased down. There is a toss factor which if you lose the toss you tend to lose the match because chasing down runs have become so easy so predictability yes, flat pitches bowlers are just turning up to get hit. These are the few factors I feel is taking the charm away and I think we need to do something really fast because you know the TV ratings are declining. The digital rating I'm not sure but streaming is going up so I think the how people are consuming this product is also shifting. Nikhil, how much of the factors do you agree with this soft engagement trend, the weaker advertiser participation? Do you think it's a temporary dip or the first real sign of franchise cricket fatigue if I may call it that?

[00:03:31]No Vikram, I think it's way too early to call it you know a franchisee cricket fatigue. I think you know much like how the the world's experienced a fair bit of disruption and I say disruption cricket in a in a much in a nicer sense. I think the the way we've started consuming sport specifically cricket in India is is very different now. Gone are the days when, you know, I think we're we're looking at numbers slightly with a with with a unidimensional view. We talk about TVRs following following about 18% but on the contrary, you know, engagement is up 18% with almost 1 billion views odd. So, it doesn't matter if you're watching you know, cricket on TV, on phones or on on your devices. It's just as long as you're watching cricket. I think that's that there's still a lot of cricket being viewed in the country and mind you, you know, it's it's only a dipstick when you move out to to malls, when you move out to you know, shopping arenas, autos, a lot of places. I personally experience people on their on their devices. IPL's become like the evening a go-to space for a lot of families and people and I do believe while recalibration is the name of the game as far as you know, the organizations are concerned in cricket.

[00:04:50]I just don't think IPL is anywhere close to you know, hitting its peak as of now. I think there's a long way to go there as far as you know, that that recalibration and reassessment keeps happening in terms of presentation to the fans.

[00:05:05]Vikram. Yes, indeed. Atul, what do you make of that? You are nodding vigorously though all your points, the factors that you mentioned were contrary but you know, these tactics as well that have come to play. Have they become too template driven is the other question because these match-ups, the power hitting, the data analytics. So, one wonders if that instinctive cricket and the unpredictability of cricket has reduced over time and that is what's taking away the interest.

[00:05:30]Well, let me tell you. You see, every team has got these data analytics and match-ups and all. So, everybody's spending a lot of money on these thrill factors but only few of them after they start winning, they can attribute to that. So, I think if you put it that way then now you have to justify the kind of money spent by the franchises by hiring all these specialists, and they have to crunch numbers. But it's cricket, you know, where the bowler is going to bowl, he is not sure. It might be just 6 in here and there. Where the batsman wants to hit, might not be so sure. Where the ball is going to be there, players might not be there. So, but if everything falls into place, they say yes, the data is working for them. But for the people who are being losing every week day in and day out, they are also spending the same time on data. What's happening to their data? So, I think this is the real you know, God particle when the Higgs boson is that you know, can't just attribute all your success to these data match-ups and all that. And the that that movie came, you know, Moneyball or something, and everybody got so excited, and Rajasthan Royals won because of that, and then it becomes a legend. But it is not really true. Cricket has got its own intrinsic kind of X-factor which you have to actually play well at that particular point of time. But I I would say the same you know, IPL is not dying, it's just evolving. Right. And I want this product to survive, but I think if we don't recalibrate Recalibrate and then we'll talk. I think you have to tweak it because you know, because people are getting so much of it every day. Everything in in you know, instant gratification. If you want to eat something from Zomato, just runs in. If I want to buy something, just delivers to me, blink it. So, I think cricket also cannot be occupy your bandwidth so much as before. And you've got too many options, so you have to curtail it down, make it more competitive. Doesn't doesn't it doesn't should should not seems like predictable. On that point of instant that point of instant gratification, if I may, Nikhil, are advertisers also looking for that? Instant gratification.

[00:07:16]Are they becoming more selective because now audiences are fragmented? Or is it because the IPL no longer guarantees, you know, the same undivided national attention it once did? That's why they are changing tactic.

[00:07:28]I think again, recalibration is the word. I think there's a lot there's the brands are also understanding that it's not just, you know, spreading yourself thin, but entrenchment that matters a lot. Any fan that's involved with with say a franchise, and you go to Chennai.

[00:07:44]I think the city stops working on the day you know Chennai Super Kings play and every brand you know I'm even talking about a brand that initially sponsored them way back when the IPL started. A lot of people associate Chennai Super Kings with that particular brand. So I don't think yes again there's a you know you're talking about 31% of brands but those are number of brands that have associated. The number invested has gone up you know. So it's also important to look at the numbers. I was seeing how passionate Mr. Watson was in terms of you know just the purity of the sport. One of the things that I feel the BCCI and the IPL has to really strongly look at is to keep the competition even right. I don't think a young kid growing up today would want to be a bowler. Soon enough you know in five years or 10 years you'd have bowling machines bowling to 11 batsman coming one after the other if this particular trend keeps on going. So it's very important that we we have the balance in sport running and as far as you know IPL franchises are concerned I think there will be a consolidation of brands but that brand entrenchment will be stronger Vikram going forward. Atul yes yes go ahead and Atul one quick question.

[00:08:58]Put your point across and tell me if you could change one thing immediately to make IPL feel fresh again what would it be?

[00:09:05]Just make the pitches more interesting.

[00:09:08]Let the bowler bowl more than one bounce in an over you know and you know many of them if a batsman can do the switch hit let the bowler also just come up and decide to bowl from wherever he wants. I think things that it have to make it difficult for the batsman. Having said that I think the many when the gentleman mentioned the brands I think no big icons also also takes away. You know Mahendra Singh Dhoni is there but not playing. Rohit Sharma is there and thereabouts and all the all the big performers of World Cup they're just turning up and you can't blame them because they're just you know looking at the at the money in the bank. They you can't expect them to play with the same fervor and same zest if you play for India and they won the World Cup. So, I think that deflation also is there. So, most of the players who did well in the World Cup are not doing well. Hardik Pandya, Bumrah and all that is that is another factor. So, I think and and to expect them to just come out there and be geniuses every time is also unfair. So, I think just God forbid if till the time Virat Kohli is playing. If Virat Kohli goes down and he's not playing, then the viewership will drop by 50%.

[00:10:06]>> Right. It's very true. But perhaps the biggest message from this conversation is that the IPL is not facing a crisis of popularity. It is still very very popular. But there is a challenge of reinvention over here. Franchise cricket remains enormously powerful. But when the calendar gets very crowded, the spectacle starts feeling repetitive.

[00:10:25]Even the biggest sporting property in the country cannot take viewer engagement for granted. The real challenge of course is whether the IPL can preserve competitiveness, have that unpredictability about it as well, and emotional stakes before the fatigue actually begins to harden into any kind of indifference from viewership. That would be dangerous to the franchise model of cricket. But thank you, Atul Wassan, Nikhil Paramjit Sharma. Thank you for joining us with your perspective on the show tonight. And those are the debates that we are tracking. Of course, two completely different pitches. One is in Beijing. One is closer home. But very important developments that we are tracking and we'll continue to do so.

[00:11:01]This is the Big Question. I'm Vikram for me and the team. Good evening.