New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) enters summer 2025, having transformed itself into the most happening thing in the world of cricket and entertainment. Much to detractors' surprise, today it represents one of the biggest global sporting events which generates huge money and draws millions of viewers on a yearly basis. The opening weekend of 2025 saw a 40% YoY increase in the viewership ratings for IPL, with a ridiculous 137 crores of viewing hours and maximum peak concurrent viewers nearly equal to the entire population of Delhi.
The IPL has emerged as the main player in sports entertainment, even more popular than traditional TV shows. According to data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), some of the highest viewership ratings are garnered during the IPL season, while the general entertainment and news channels essentially vacate their viewers. The IPL has not only become a cultural powerhouse in India but has also bagged the T20 format a whole new audience on the global stage, and subsequently into the Olympics.
For the IPL, finance will always be the center of attraction. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) raised a mammoth Rs. 20,686 crores of revenue during the 2023-24 financial year from all sources, making itself the richest cricket board in the world. The growth of the IPL is now mirrored on a global platform, with most of the teams owning stakes in various franchise leagues across different countries, thereby securing the spot for the IPL in the global cricket scene.
Digital streaming platforms have set the stage for realism in the evolution of the IPL. With Viacom18 securing the IPL digital rights for a monumental Rs. 237.58 billion for the 2023-27 period, this initiative allowed for streaming matches for free, enhancing the digital viewership to an incredible 620 million in 2024. This momentum in digital has transformed the viewing landscape, opening the IPL for unlimited audiences worldwide and ensuring that the IPL becomes the most revered brand in the marketed media world.
Where the IPL enjoys immense respect, the success story of the league is only a testament to the power of cricket as a sport and as a business. Keen attention given to match fixtures, whereby Big Four team matches form a critical part of the schedule (these include Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Kolkata Knight Riders like fixtures) to maximize viewership has made the event ever so thrilling. The IPL continues to re-create one sheer spectacle after another on a yearly foundation, giving it the promise of being a genuine game in the field of sports entertainment for as long as time will exist.
[Source Credit: NDTV]
