COVID-19 2nd wave impacts IPL 2021 reach and viewership

After a stupendous opening, wherein the opening match between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore garnered 10 billion minutes of viewership, VIVO IPL 2021 is seeing a dip in its viewership after the completion of 17 matches. The Star India network had clocked 323 million total impressions for the opening match of VIVO IPL 2021.

As per BARC data (India 2+/ TV Only/ Live Matches Only), the viewing minutes for the first 17 matches of IPL 2021 stood at 6.62 billion, as against viewing minutes of 8.34 billion for the first 14 matches of IPL 2020. In IPL 2020, the viewing minutes for the first 17 matches were reported at 6.07 billion.

Meanwhile, the first 17 matches of IPL 2021 attained a cumulative reach of 105 million viewers, compared to a cumulative reach of 116 million viewers in IPL 2020.

As the country battles a second wave of COVID-19 infections, the daily news reports of growing number of cases and deaths, as well as shortage of oxygen, vaccines and even cremation grounds, have had a sobering effect on the population. Sentiments were much higher when IPL 2020 was held in October-November last year as the number of COVID-19 cases were coming down and lockdown was being lifted in phases across the country.

Like last year, IPL 2021, too, is being played without spectators. But this year, we have seen some overseas players, as well as a couple of Indian players withdrawing from the tournament due to COVID-19 and restrictions on travellers from India.