The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 became the most-watched season ever, according to Disney Star, the official television broadcaster of the IPL 2023-27, with live broadcasts of the first 66 matches exceeding 482 million viewers.
The viewership until match 66 was approximately four million higher than the previous high of 478 million established over the entire 2019 season.
Sanjog Gupta, Disney Star, Head of Sports, said, “IPL 2023 has shattered all previous viewership records on TV. Even in terms of consumption, we’re seeing record numbers with more than 350 billion minutes of watch-time. We have also seen 40 of the first 66 matches each registering peak concurrents of more than 30 million with a high of 56 million. This has made IPL 2023 an historic IPL on television across facets of reach, viewing time and frequency.
“We also sought to redefine the traditional TV experience by offering fans at home access to instant replays, key moments, live statistics and highlights on the press of a button on their remotes. This has fuelled the addition of 11 million subscribers during IPL 2023, boosting the penetration of Star Sports to an all-time high.”
The record viewership for the 2023 season follows Disney Star’s INR 23,575 crore (US$3.02 billion) purchase of the IPL’s domestic TV broadcast rights, with the broadcaster opting to transmit select games free-to-air (FTA) for the first time.
Campaigns such as ‘Rivalry Week,’ which featured notable games during week six of the tournament, have aided in increasing interest in the league. During that one week, Disney Star gained 21 million new viewers.
With four new sponsors and 30 brands signing up since the commencement of IPL 2023, Disney Star’s advertising revenue has surged dramatically as a result of its record viewership.