MUMBAI: Before it started, people wondered if the Airtel Champions Twenty20 League would be able to match the popularity of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The answer for now is no.
Tam data (C&S, 4+) shows that the first six matches only delivered an average TVR of 1.16. This is despite the fact that an Indian IPL franchise featured in three of these matches.
The highest rating for this event was the opening match between Bangalore and Cape Cobras on 8 October which got a rating of 2.01 TVR. The match between the Deccan Chargers and Sussex Sharks on 10 October got a rating of 1.80 TVR while the contest between the Delhi Daredevils and Victoria Bushrangers fetched a rating of 1.43.
The matches not featuring an Indian side did not even reach a TVR of 1. Compared with this, the second edition of the IPL managed an average TVR of 4.2 despite the fact that it was played in South Africa.
The Twenty20 World Cup earlier this year, which again took place in South Africa, fared better than the Champions Twenty20 League, held in India, with an average TVR of 2.89. Around 37.1 million viewers have tuned in to this event so far.
For those who think that T20 delivers better than ODIs, that is not necessarily the case. The Compaq Cup which was a tri series ODI featuring India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand got an average TVR of 3 on Ten Sports.
