The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed the worth of Indian Premier League and the amount will show why the league is the richest of its kind in the world. The board claimed that the league is worth a staggering $4.5 billion, or INR 27,000 crore. The board revealed that the amount was calculated by Duff & Phelps.
“According to the Broadcast Audience Research Council of India, the total TV viewership of IPL 2016 calculated by impressions stood at 102 crores. A report by management consultancy firm KPMG puts the total impact of IPL 2015 on the Indian economy at Rs 1,150 crore, more than 0.6 % of the country’s GDP,” states 2015-16 annual report of the BCCI.
Talking to the Times of India, BCCI president Anurag Thakur said that the league is a massive hit both on the field as well as off the field. Mr. Thakur said that the cash-rich league has set a benchmark in the country where the trend of starting leagues for different sports has seen a meteoric rise in recent years.
“The IPL’s been a sure-shot hit on the field and off it too. On the field, it has given the talented players a stage and a platform to exhibit their skills. It has brought the cultures of cricketing countries together and gives youngsters a unique opportunity to see the greatness in front of their eyes and learn from them. It has been the fastest-growing league in the world, and it has also changed the landscape of domestic sport in the country. After the IPL was launched in 2008, many other sports have started such leagues. Numbers prove that the IPL has set a benchmark, and at the BCCI, we’re extremely proud of this,” Anurag Thakur said on Thursday (September 22).
“In a short span of nine years, the IPL has created a legacy of its own and changed the dynamics of cricket. It has been the catalyst to revive the culture of domestic sports in India, and many other sports have followed in its footsteps,” Thakur added.
Another BCCI official claimed that the league is a boon for advertisers.
Citing the example of Vivo mobile company, he said: “The IPL is growing by 20% every year. It is a broadcasters’ delight and a preferred platform for all the advertisers. Look at how Vivo has become a household name after becoming the title sponsor of the league. Expect the digital rights of the event to soar exponentially in the coming years, which is why they’ve been sold for only five years.” said another BCCI official. Vivo, it is estimated, paid around INR 100
According to reports, Vivo paid around INR 100 crore to buy the title sponsorship earlier this year. The BCCI has produced some astonishing figures of this year’s IPL. According to a survey carried out by the board, 52% of the TV viewing households watched the tournament while the tournament’s overall reach was 361 million viewers. 1,543,655 spectators attended the matches in stadiums while the newly-launched ‘fan parks’ was a massive hit and recorded an impressive attendance of 4,40,000 people.
One can get an idea of the popularity of this league from the fact that it has left behind the likes of UEFA Champions League, NFL, NBA in terms of growth on Twitter since 2014. IPL has recorded a growth of 300%. Next in the list is UEFA Champions League with 239%, followed by NFL and NBA with 125% and 99% growth respectively. The report claimed that Kolkata Knight Riders have left behind football giants Manchester United in terms of growth on Twitter. The Kolkata-based franchise has recorded 300% growth in the last couple oy years compared to 204% growth of Manchester United.