Mumbai: Disney Star, the official television broadcaster of Tata IPL 2023, clocked a total of 8.7 billion minutes of consumption on TV for the opening match, a massive 47 per cent growth in comparison to last year. 140 million viewers tuned in for the live broadcast on opening day, which included the opening ceremony with 130 million watching the first match involving Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.
“We are humbled by the overwhelming response that #IPLonStar has received from fans across the country. The massive growth in viewing time is a testament to the success of our campaign, focusing on building virtues of Star Sports’ broadcast, continuing dominance of linear television as the preferred platform for uninterrupted viewing of live cricket and most of all, the deep relationship we share with cricket fans. This also reiterates the popularity of Tata IPL as the premier cricket tournament in the world. We will continue to stay committed in our endeavour of serving fans through the power of storytelling, the best-in-class coverage and customization at scale,” said Disney Star head – sports Sanjog Gupta.
Star Sports has been at the forefront of fueling fandom for sports and nurturing viewership. With its fan-centric approach, which includes creating region-specific feeds in nine languages, fine-tuned to socio-cultural nuances and sporting realities of the region, it has grown Cricket viewership in multiple regions. A decorated ‘Star Cast’ comprising former cricketers and seasoned broadcasters across languages is presenting Tata IPL 2023. They are joined by Star Sports’ IPL sutradhaar – Ranveer Singh – and legendary Telugu actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, who are representing super-fans on the broadcast.
Star Sports is keeping fans in the centre of all their initiatives and providing the most immersive fan experience possible with on-ground experiences like the ‘Fan Bus’, where fans can join and interact with Star Sports’ experts on the way to the stadium and discuss the game with them. The broadcaster is also bringing the joy of ‘Watching Together’ to the fans doorsteps and thereby providing the most immersive fan experience possible with ‘Har Society Banega Stadium’ wherein Star Sports’ experts are joining screenings being organised around the country. The broadcaster has also launched the largest school Cricket quiz, ‘The Incredible League Quiz’, which has seen participation from over 20,000 students. ‘Ask Star’ returns in a new avatar where fans can pose to commentators, questions which they always wanted answers to. These questions are featured on the live broadcast.
The ‘Shor On, Game On!’ campaign by Star Sports generated significant excitement and support before the tournament. The campaign captures fans' passion, excitement, and togetherness, driving their favourite cricketers to achieve incredible moments on the field. The campaign films have featured superstars Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and KL Rahul and took social media by storm, with fans expressing their delight and rooting for their favourite teams.
Star Sports also launched a special ‘Stars on Star’ show that provided viewers with a unique opportunity to get to know their favourite heroes at a personal level. The broadcaster has been consolidating its efforts to celebrate super-fans who make the IPL special, and the response has been overwhelming. Over 200 million viewers watched the build-up programming for Tata IPL 2023 even before the tournament began on Friday, which is a testament to Star Sports’ commitment to widening the coverage of the tournament beyond the live broadcast.
With the tournament expected to provide many thrilling moments, twists, and turns, Star Sports is optimistic that the ‘Shor’ will continue as fans enjoy the action on television. With a host of exclusive surround programming and technology innovations, the broadcaster is setting a new precedent in how the marquee tournament is watched. The Tata IPL 2023 promises to be an enthralling tournament, and Star Sports' efforts to enhance the viewing experience will undoubtedly make it memorable for viewers and fans across the country.
