IPL Season 5: First six-match average sees 12 per cent dip in viewership

The Indian Premiere League, once posed as an absolute threat not just to any other sport in India but also to the various entertainment formats, is surely losing its shine - and how!

In fact, the average TVR of the first six matches of the latest IPL edition stands at 3.76, much lower than what the first six matches of the previous edition had scored - 4.63 TVR (TAM Sports, C&S 4+, All India, Max).

For the record, IPL Season 1 scored the highest rating points, with 5.59 TVR (first six matches) followed by the IPL 2010 edition (4.99 TVR), IPL 2009 (4.84 TVR), IPL 2011 (4.63 TVR) and finally, the 2012 edition.

It's quite evident that a slow fatigue is steadily setting into the viewers' minds when it comes to the IPL, perhaps due to constant repetition.

Anita Nayyar, chief executive officer, Havas Media India, says, "It's natural. Generally, any relaunch edition of any show or format lowers the curiosity quotient amongst the audiences. And, until there is a dramatic variation and variety brought into the tourney, the fatigue factor will only increase."

According to many, since there was no shuffling of team players until now, a consistency in the team brand and player association was witnessed. However, this time, many players have been disassociated from their respective teams and have joined new ones. This has created some confusion amongst the viewers, leading to a fall in viewership. Nevertheless, there is optimism in the market that the game will build its viewership base eventually.

P M Balakrishna, chief operating officer, Allied Media, says, "We are sure that eventually the mood of the game will go up, once the tourney meets proper momentum. The buzz has started to work around once again and is expected to reflect in the GRPs in the next two-three weeks."