Disney Star, the official television broadcaster of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023-27, announced that it smashed IPL 2023 viewership records, attracting approximately 2.1 crore new viewers during ‘rivalry week,’ or week 6 of the IPL.
According to the firm’s press release, the introduction of fresh viewers has increased live broadcast viewership to 47.14 crores in the first 57 games, the highest in IPL history at the same level.
‘Rivalry week’ i.e. Week 6 of the IPL was a Disney Star Network initiative in which popular rival teams from the South and North faced off. In week 6, seven matches exceeded three crore in peak concurrency, with Mumbai Indians (MI) – Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) match reaching 4.7 crore, the biggest in Rivalry Week.
In addition, the network reported a year-on-year increase in Weekly TVR of more than 44% over the previous edition of the tournament.
Special programmes on the network throughout rivalry week included Ask Star, Incredible Moments, and Down the Memory Lane. It also debuted new show segments such as Fan Battles, Versus, and Rival Games, alongside Cricket Live.
“Disney Star is building the highly anticipated ‘Race To The Playoffs’, from 23rd May 2023, through a host of initiatives across live coverage, programming, and fan engagement. The league is at its competitive best with 5 teams still fighting for the remaining three playoff spots, with Gujarat Titans already qualified,” said the network.