Moving ahead from the tremendous success of the 2020 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Star India network, official broadcaster of the cash-rich league, has clocked 323 million total impressions for the opening match of the 14th edition between Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
The IPL 2021 opener drew a great response, bigger than the opening matches of all other IPL editions held previously barring the 2020 season and 42 per cent* higher than the edition in 2019.
Speaking on the development, a Star Sports spokesperson in an official statemen said: “We are delighted with fans’ response to VIVO IPL 2021. Almost 10 billion* minutes of consumption (9.7 billion) for the opening match of the tournament shows how eagerly anticipated the season was, despite just a four-month gap between the two seasons. We are confident that viewers’ interest will continue to grow as the tournament progresses.”
“We are committed to delivering an immersive experience that takes fans confined at home closer to the action. We also urge everyone to stay home as much as possible, take all precautions and be safe during these difficult times,” the spokesperson added.
Significantly, the ongoing season is being aired in seven languages which comprise a total of 100 commentators across language feeds.
On the other hand, the Select Dugout panel for the league features former cricketing greats like Scott Styris, Brian Lara, Brett Lee, Graeme Swann, and Dominic Cork.