IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal on role of TV and digital for IPL viewing

WPL likely to follow the home and away format from the second season. Teams to remain five for the next three years.

Despite the enduring popularity of television in India, the digital medium holds a unique appeal, said Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), as per media reports. 

“Digital is changing the landscape so there will be more takers for digital but given the depth and reach of the television it still has a great market in India,” he said. 

He insisted that everything about the game has to revolve around the fans.

“The game has to innovate for everyone. The idea was to make it more enriching for the fans. A lot of market needs to be captured as far as the global audience is concerned. We will reach out to the fans globally,” said Dhumal.

The 16th edition of the IPL has two media partners. While Star Sports Network caters to the television audience, JioCinema is providing free streaming service to the fans on the OTT app. 

According to Disney Star, it clocked 870 crore minutes of consumption for the opening match between defending champions Gujarat Titans and four-time trophy holders Chennai Super Kings; a 47% growth compared to 2022. A total of 14 crore viewers tuned in for the first day’s broadcast.

Meanwhile, Viacom18’s JioCinema claimed that there were over 147 crore views for the opening weekend of the T20 league, which it says is more views than what the entire tournament enjoyed last year on digital. 

On Women's Premier League (WPL)

Dhumal stated that for the WPL, they intend to implement the home and away format from the second season, but the number of teams will remain five for the next three years. The BCCI had arranged all matches in Mumbai over two venues for the inaugural tournament due to the challenging schedule after the Women's T20 World Cup. Dhumal emphasized the significance of home and away games for team fanbases and revealed that the board plans to introduce this format as soon as next season.