The ongoing 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off with a blockbuster opening match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), two of the most followed cricket franchises in the world. The contest had so many memorable moments and it started off the IPL 2024 in style. The start-studded match saw defending champions CSK registering a 6-wicket win over their arch-rivals RCB.
Historic viewer engagement
Now it has been revealed that the high-voltage IPL 2024 opener attracted a staggering 16.8 crore viewers on March 22. This remarkable viewership figure was announced by Disney Star, the official broadcaster of the tournament, on Thursday.
Disney Star revealed that not only did the opening day witness an unprecedented number of viewers, but it also recorded an astounding watch-time of 1276 crore minutes. This figure marks the highest-ever watch-time for the first day of any IPL season. Watch-time minutes represent the cumulative time spent by viewers watching the game.
Peak TV concurrency achieved
In addition to the impressive viewership and watch-time figures, the ongoing season of the cash-rich league achieved the highest-ever peak TV concurrency for an opening day. A remarkable 6.1 crore viewers tuned in simultaneously to watch the broadcast on the Disney Star network.
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Growth in TV consumption
Comparing the current season with the previous one, Disney Star highlighted a significant growth in TV consumption. In 2023, the IPL’s opening day recorded 870 crore minutes, indicating a substantial 16 per cent increase in TV viewership for the current edition.
“Disney Star had recorded 870 crore minutes on the IPL’s opening day in 2023. In comparison to the previous edition, there is a growth of 16 per cent in TV consumption. This growth is a reaffirmation of the incomparable capacity of Live Cricket to aggregate audiences on TV and provides a blockbuster start to the tournament. We will continue to enrich the magic of one of the world’s biggest sporting events to take forward the launch momentum and deliver unprecedented viewership,” a Star Sports spokesperson said in a press release.
Digital engagement soars
In the digital sphere, JioCinema witnessed a significant surge in viewership, with 11.3 crore viewers tuning in on the first day of IPL 2024. This marked a notable 51 per cent increase compared to the opening day of the previous season. The total watch time on JioCinema for the first day of IPL 2024 reached an impressive 660 crore minutes.
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