IPL 2023 opening match on Disney Star sees sharp drop in TV ratings: Is the popularity of IPL on TV declining?

The opening match of Tata IPL 2023 witnessed a substantial drop in ratings, suggesting that the viewership of Indian Premier League (IPL) on television has decreased. While Star claims to have registered a growth of over 30 per cent in viewership compared to the previous edition of the T20 league, the BARC figures present a different picture.

The highly anticipated opening match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans failed to impress the audience, with a meager 22 percent reach [BARC, 2+ (Urban + Rural)] as reported by BARC. This marks a notable decrease from the reach recorded during the previous two editions of the IPL, which stood at 23.1 per cent and 18.3 percent respectively.

This appears to be a rerun of last year's narrative, where the league experienced a 33 per cent decline in TV ratings in its opening week compared to the 2021 season. Additionally, the overall viewership of IPL 2022 decreased by 14 per cent compared to IPL 2021.

Despite the addition of Out of Home (OOH) and Free to Air (FTA) channels, including Star Utsav Movies, the IPL's opening match could not avoid disappointing TV ratings, with a TVR of 7.29 - the second-lowest in the last six seasons as per BARC (M15+ AB India Urban). This is a stark contrast to the golden days of the IPL, where it used to reign supreme in the TRP charts and attract high advertising rates especially for inventories around opening match, closing day and others.

Broadcasters of premium IPs such as the IPL often reserve some inventory for last-minute sales at premium prices to enable advertisers to maximize their exposure to the buzz and excitement surrounding the event. However, with the numbers not picking up this year, it is unlikely that such an opportunity will be available.