The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League kicked off with a bang, drawing a massive audience of 168 million viewers for the season’s opening match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22, as reported by the tournament’s official broadcaster.
This opening spectacle also saw a record-breaking watch-time of 12.76 billion minutes, marking the highest-ever for any IPL season opener. Impressively, the event achieved the highest peak TV viewership for an opening day, with 61 million viewers tuning in simultaneously on the Disney Star network.
Compared to the previous edition, there was a significant 16% increase in TV viewership, with Disney Star recording 8.7 billion minutes on the opening day in 2023. The defending champions, Chennai Super Kings, set the tone for the season by clinching victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets in a thrilling encounter in Chennai.
This increase in viewership shows the unmatched appeal of live cricket in bringing together audiences on TV, signaling a blockbuster start to the tournament. The broadcaster aims to sustain this momentum and deliver viewership throughout the season.
The remarkable TV viewership on the opening day was affected by a diverse range of pre-tournament programs, attracting over 245 million viewers in the lead-up to the event.
In the digital world, JioCinema witnessed a significant increase, with 113 million viewers on the first day, marking a 51% increase from IPL 2023. The platform boasted a total watch time of 6.6 billion minutes on day one.
Utpal is a journalist covering online and offline sports in India. He has passion for everything sports and is a regular at various sports events. Follow him to stay abreast of all things sports.