Indian Premier League (IPL) is hoping for a windfall having invited tenders for its media rights for seasons running from 2023 to 2027 in late March. The BCCI has set a reserve price of Rs 32,980 crore for the cycle which is more than double than that of what the current right holder paid for the ongoing cycle (Rs 16,347.5 crore).
However, in a rude shock, various reports claim that the first three weeks of ongoing IPL 2022 has seen a major dip in ratings – between 30-34 per cent. However, there was improvement in the fourth week than compared to the third.
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) raised concerns over the reserve price set by the BCCI in light of the viewership data for the first few weeks of the IPL. However, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel isn’t worried
“There is a slight dip in viewership, but the numbers are not alarming. I don’t see them having any impact on the media rights sale,” Patel was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times,
On what may have contributed to the drop, Patel explained, “Things have opened up and people are traveling compared to what we faced in the past two years. We also believe a lot of people are now watching the games at restaurants, pubs and clubs. What we see is one connection and hundreds of people watching.”
On Tuesday, SPN CEO NP Singh had called for a reality check based on the ratings. “It’s a very aggressive reserve price, there has to be a reality check as TV viewership of IPL has dropped by over 34%, and at a time when the rights are coming up for renewal,” Singh told Economic Times.
Among the contenders for the IPL media rights are Viacom18/TV18, Amazon, FanCode/Dream11, Disney Star, ZEE Entertainment Enterprise, SPN
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