The Indian Premier League (IPL) has transcended into a global sporting spectacle, enough to become a scheduled national event, according to recent survey. Having started in 2008, the IPL grew in stature to become the world richest franchise league, with every cricketer globally wanting to be a part of the two-month long extravaganza.
In a report shared to this website by marketing agency called Folk Frequency, a recent customer survey revealed that the IPL and T20 cricket has taken precedence over ODIs and Tests (the ultimate format of the game). The level of commitment for a T20 match not only confirmed the shift in the consumption of the game in the country, but also placed IPL as the primary driver of India's economy in sports.
It revealed that IPL behaves more like a season than a random set of matches with IPL (31.8%) and T20 (30.6%) taking more than 60% of cricket consumption in the country. The one-dayers constitute for 23% while Tests come last at 14.6%.
IPL is no longer a mere tournament which starts in March and ends in May. Instead, it has become a carnival for sports fans across the country with many pre-planning their activities during that window. Not only the quality of the matches keeps the fans glued to their TV sets and mobile screens, but the emotions attached to the game show up as late-night restlessness, next-day sleepiness, lunch-time highlight rewatches and intense chat at work.
The report also revealed that 92.7% of people make advance planning for the IPL. While 50.8% account for “I know everything about when matches are happening and plan in advance”, 41.9% people say “I'm clued in to the big matches and make some plans.”
The rest 7.3% account for "I don't really know much until others speak about it."
How technology played a big role?
Technology played a big role in advance planning for IPL. With multi-language feeds, the IPL has managed to enter every household in India and has become more accessible to rural demographics. The real-time polls and virtual watch parties have made IPL more engaging which has turned passive viewing into active social commitment.
Not just that. The high production quality has made IPL a ‘premium’ experience for fans worth scheduling time for. Another aspect of IPL becoming more acceptable for fans is its timing of the matches.
While a ODI or a Test match generally takes more than six hours, a T20 match is finished within four hours. Normally a 50-over cricket match and a Test match is usually slotted for around 9 AM to 5 PM. Comparatively, an IPL match starts at 8 PM, thus maintaining a work-life balance.
What's next for T20 cricket in India?
The country is once again gearing up for three months of entertaining T20 action, starting from February. For the first time since 2016, India is hosting the T20 World Cup, starting on February 7 with the final to be played on March 8. The upcoming edition of IPL is expected to start on March 26, with the final to be played preferably on May 3.
