Viewership War

Both JioCinema and Disney Star claim to have won the viewership sweepstakes during the first leg of the cash-rich IPL 2023. But the jury is still out

- PRERNA LIDHOO

THE INDIAN PREMIER League is arguably one of the most watched and profitable sporting events in the world. As the cricket tournament scales new heights with each season, the competition among broadcasters-digital and traditional-to grab eyeballs is becoming fiercer.

In the first few weeks of play, Tata IPL 2023-currently being telecast and streamed by media networks Star Sports (Disney Star) and Reliance-promoted JioCinema-has already smashed many viewership records, claim both the platforms. According to data from Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), official TV broadcaster Disney Star has garnered 369 million viewers, the highest in IPL history. The number was 307 million viewers for the first 10 days, which is 23 per cent more than the previous edition, the network says.