Mumbai: The VIVO IPL 2018 auction event received an overwhelming response on television and digital platforms across the nation as 46.5 million fans, approximately 6x more than last year, tuned in to watch the 2-day auction event on the Star Sports Network as per BARC data. Digital viewership too surged by 5x on Hotstar as compared to 2017. The auction was telecast on a bouquet of 6 channels including Star Sports 1 (SD+HD), Star Sports1 Hindi (SD+HD), Star Sports First & Star Sports 1 Tamil.
Commenting on the development, Star India MD Sanjay Gupta said, “The huge surge in viewership numbers for the 2018 auction underlines the importance IPL holds for audiences. There’s tremendous enthusiasm and anticipation about the tournament and we are committed to making VIVO IPL 2018 an exciting experience for the fans, who will experience the combined power of Star Sports and Hotstar.”
On the other hand, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri said,“Over the years the IPL has captured the hearts of viewers not just in India but across the world. Going by the viewership so far, both, the anticipation and the quality of delivery have risen. With Star India at the forefront, we hope and our confident the VIVO IPL 2018 will serve the interests of cricket in India and the expectations of cricket lovers like never before."
"The 6-month IPL extravaganza this year will surely set new benchmarks and change the face of sports broadcasting in India," added he.On social media, as per a report by ‘The Distillery’, Star India’s social intelligence cell, the auction event was a global phenomenon with 843K mentions worldwide – a five-fold increase over the numbers in 2017. Notably, the eleventh season of the cash-rich league will kick-off on April 7 in Mumbai with the hosts Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings on the opening day. (UNI)