IPL 2021: Star Sports focused on growing IPL by attracting new viewers

The fourteenth edition of the VIVO Indian Premier League is all set to kick off from 9 April and will be played here in India. This forthcoming IPL season will have so much of difference than the previous ones on the Indian soil -  whether the matches being played behind closed doors, without any spectators or the duration of the tournament which is considerably longer and also, the number of venues used.

Following a highly successful season amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in the UAE, broadcaster Star Sports is aiming for yet another record-breaking viewership season. Speaking to E4M, Sanjog Gupta, Head – Sports, Star India revealed that the media company is looking at this edition with the goal of giving more female presenters and commentators opportunities to influence the female demographic.

“We, at Star Sports, have been focussed on growing IPL by attracting new viewers and widening its audience base. Programming initiatives such as Super Funday, shows like Unplugged and Countdown along with special segments on Cricket Live (pre & post shows) have supported this objective. We also believe that viewers like seeing reflections of themselves on the broadcast, and providing opportunities to female commentators and presenters have served to make our presentation more inclusive. These initiatives, combined with our regionalisation strategy that enables wider access for the game, has resulted in the growth of women viewership for IPL 2020,” Sanjog Gupta told E4M.

According to BARC data, IPL 2020 drew a massive female viewership, resulting in 171 billion viewing minutes, a 23% increase over the 2019 IPL season.

“Brands consider IPL a great platform to speak to a diverse set of audiences, including women, as no other property can. Our research also suggests that women are much more engaged while watching live sport than they are while watching other forms of media,” added Gupta.

We, at the Royal Challengers Bangalore, too believe that women are an integral part of the sporting ecosystem. After all, "it's her game, too."