The IPL 2024 opener between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore set a new record for TV viewership, according to Disney Star broadcasters. A staggering 16.8 Crore unique viewers tuned in to watch the broadcast, accumulating a total watch-time of 1276 Crore minutes – the highest for any IPL season’s opening day. Additionally, this season saw the highest-ever peak TV concurrency for an IPL Opening Day, with 6.1 Crore viewers simultaneously watching the match on the Disney Star network.
A spokesperson from Star Sports expressed their delight at this remarkable feat, attributing it to the fans’ unwavering support for Star Sports and the network’s dedication to ‘serving fans’. They also extended gratitude to their partners and the BCCI for their support in the various initiatives undertaken by Star Sports to promote cricket and the IPL.
The Opening Day featured a star-studded lineup of talent, including IPL title winners, World Cup champions, esteemed coaches, and cricket legends. The commentary box welcomed back Navjot Singh Sidhu alongside other well-known personalities like Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, and Kris Srikkanth. Furthermore, new additions like Steve Smith and Stuart Broad joined the likes of Brian Lara, Matthew Hayden, Kevin Pietersen, Jacques Kallis, and Dale Steyn in presenting the IPL 2024 matches.
Noteworthy former players from CSK such as Ambati Rayudu, Murali Vijay, L Balaji, and Subramaniam Badrinath, along with IPL champions like Vinay Kumar and Venugopal Rao, headlined Disney Star’s regional feeds in nine languages. The lineup of around 120 cricketers was complemented by national and regional celebrities, popular presenters, and content creators to offer a comprehensive entertainment package on the Opening Day.
The exceptional TV viewership numbers on the opening day followed a successful lead-up to the 17th season, which attracted over 24.5 Crore unique viewers in the week leading up to the tournament. On the digital front, JioCinema recorded 11.3 crore viewers on the first day of the IPL, marking a 51% increase compared to the previous season. The total watch time on JioCinema on the opening day reached 660 crore minutes, as stated by the streamer in a release.
