indian only viewed IPL

[SJS]

April 30th CSK versus Rajasthan Royals

April 30th - Deccan Chargers vs Daredevils

 

[SJS]

Frankly SJS, the point that in SA IPL, crowds were not full does not mean anything for it's future as the Indian Premier League. I don't understand the emphasis. The very fact that despite relocating it SA, that too on a very short notice, it still commanded reasonably good crowds and did not register a fatal dip in TV ratings suggest it did a good job. Also to satiate the timings requirement of the Indian crowd, games were started at 12.30 PM SA time, which is just not the time to expect a full crowd on a weekend is it not?

Of course you dont.

Were you listening to the commentary on these matches, if you were you may not have missed what was told repeatedly by the commentators, including former cricketers and former Test captains how the grounds were jam packed. Ravi Shastri said many different occasions that thousands were left outside the ground since there was no place inside.

The emphasis is not on that IPL failed. That gives me no pleasure whatsoever. If it succeeds and if that gives money to the players and the game as well as pleasure to millions of watchers on TV or the grounds, I would be silly, childish and churlish to grudge them that and I dont. I have other issues with the shorter version of the game but its success or failure is not one of them

My problem is with the bull **** that is fed to us by the only people left from whom we can expect the game to be kept moving in the right direction.

From Mr Pawar, Mr Modi or Mr Dalmia I have never expected any good by intent. They are in it for money and any good that comes to the game, and some will, is incidental. The problem is that we expect these 'honorary' custodians of the game to be replaced some day by professionals and former cricketers who, with all their experience and, hopefully, love for the game will ensure that besides money other decisions too are taken in the best interests of the game.

My concern is that if even those former cricketers including, I am sad to say, former Test players from England and other countries are going to do and say what they are told, even blatant lies, then how can we expect them to do and say the right thing in the more important matters concerning the game.

I say more important to stress that the lies about packed grounds are minor matters and small lies but when someone starts telling minor lies for no reason except to look after the interests of the bosses, and of everyone of the stake holders including themselves, then we are in trouble.

I hope you see what I am trying to say.

If you dont, forget it, for it gives me no pleasure to say another word on this.

 

[marc71178]

The drop in TV ratings is understandable since 95% of the watching crowd comes from the subcontinent, and the timings were a bit awry.

Really, so that's why one of the IPL's conditions for whoever hosted the event were that matches remained at the same times as they were during the 1st season for Indian TV viewers then?

 

[archie mac]

I don't like the way it is taking cricketers away from their country commitments, to play a bastardised version of the game, with little to no meaning.

Personally I have even stopped watching the highlights as it is just so one dimensional. How many times can you watch a flat track bully hit a six against a bowler who is simply cannon fodder, into a crowd of gyrating cheerleaders dancing to ear splitting music?

 

[silentstriker]

I've been saying this all along. It's not a global brand, and IPL is making a mistake thinking it is. They need to focus it toward the Indian fanbase (I think I had a few discussions about this a while back with some people here). The ratings will continue to go down until they realize their true fan base. The ratings are not down because it's too long - it's because it is too short. 11 month off season is way too long to sustain interest to the next tournament. You forget your squads, players, etc. There has to be anticipation and excitement for the start, but wait this long and it dies down.

With regards to SJS - the stands are much more emptier during a Test series, and the TV ratings are less than half of IPL. So as you say, as a businessman, which product would you focus on?

And I agree, paying vast sums for big names probably does not make sense.

 

[SJS]

As for TRP ratings in India, talk to people from the industry if you know anyone high enough and you will come to know what a big con job it is. The advertisers have no way to know the correct idea of people watching a programme and in a country where corruption is so rampant at every damn level you can think of (in public as well as private sectors) with such huge amounts involved, no one is under any illusions that the TRP ratings are accurate or 'honest'

That is why when the first murmurs started about the low TRP ratings for IPL-2, there was a huge hue and cry and it was like war between different agencies. Sony Entertainment Televison (who hold the rights) went hammer and tongs against those who said the ratings were between 3-5 % and used all kinds of data to prove that was far from being the case.

Just google IPL 2009 TRP ratings and you will have enough to read and keep you busy for the next week. More than that, it will be an education.

 

[slippyslip]

And who would want to sit in those seats anyway?

 

[silentstriker]

Hmm? I did not claim that they did not go down. I am simply stating that they were higher than Test series, and the stadiums were certainly a lot more full during the IPL than they are during real cricket matches.

 

[Richard]

Really, so that's why one of the IPL's conditions for whoever hosted the event were that matches remained at the same times as they were during the 1st season for Indian TV viewers then?

It's unlikely there was any connection - the games, in both India in 2008 and South Africa in 2009, were scheduled to start at the best times for Indian audiences. So the 20% drop in non-Indian TV viewership is extremely unlikely to have been impacted on by that, because there was in fact minimal change. It would probably have happened even if the 2009 event had been held in India.

BTW, SJS is bang-on about how worrying it is that there are many people, former cricketers who have at some times been believed to have the best interests of the game at heart, prepared to blatantly lie in order to toe the line of the bosses.

 

[Pigeon]

Of course you dont.

Were you listening to the commentary on these matches, if you were you may not have missed what was told repeatedly by the commentators, including former cricketers and former Test captains how the grounds were jam packed. Ravi Shastri said many different occasions that thousands were left outside the ground since there was no place inside.

The emphasis is not on that IPL failed. That gives me no pleasure whatsoever. If it succeeds and if that gives money to the players and the game as well as pleasure to millions of watchers on TV or the grounds, I would be silly, childish and churlish to grudge them that and I dont. I have other issues with the shorter version of the game but its success or failure is not one of them

My problem is with the bull **** that is fed to us by the only people left from whom we can expect the game to be kept moving in the right direction.

From Mr Pawar, Mr Modi or Mr Dalmia I have never expected any good by intent. They are in it for money and any good that comes to the game, and some will, is incidental. The problem is that we expect these 'honorary' custodians of the game to be replaced some day by professionals and former cricketers who, with all their experience and, hopefully, love for the game will ensure that besides money other decisions too are taken in the best interests of the game.

My concern is that if even those former cricketers including, I am sad to say, former Test players from England and other countries are going to do and say what they are told, even blatant lies, then how can we expect them to do and say the right thing in the more important matters concerning the game.

I say more important to stress that the lies about packed grounds are minor matters and small lies but when someone starts telling minor lies for no reason except to look after the interests of the bosses, and of everyone of the stake holders including themselves, then we are in trouble.

I hope you see what I am trying to say.

If you dont, forget it, for it gives me no pleasure to say another word on this.

Well, what did you expect from the commentators, who are nothing but paid manually operated loudspeakers of the IPL commercial bandwagon? I despised that, but sadly it is going to stay. I have learnt to mute the volume while watching the IPL and devote my ears to some classical music.

I agree somewhat on the other points, but hey the IPL didn't exactly advertise it as the guardian angel of cricket, did it? It was obvious that it was just a commercial venture and aimed at making profits and equity for the stakeholders. And it has done a reasonably good job at that.

The problem is when we are trying to view it as something to save cricket, or to promote cricket. No it isn't. It is just a entertainment company floated, recruits talent from worldwide and sells it's product to the viewing public. Simple as that. In the process, it will try all tricks to market it's product, which includes advertising it's matches to be 100% capacity occupied and more. It all has to taken or dismissed with a pinch of salt.

 

[SJS]

I've been saying this all along. It's not a global brand, and IPL is making a mistake thinking it is. They need to focus it toward the Indian fanbase (I think I had a few discussions about this a while back with some people here). The ratings will continue to go down until they realize their true fan base. The ratings are not down because it's too long - it's because it is too short. 11 month off season is way too long to sustain interest to the next tournament. You forget your squads, players, etc. There has to be anticipation and excitement for the start, but wait this long and it dies down.

With regards to SJS - the stands are much more emptier during a Test series, and the TV ratings are less than half of IPL. So as you say, as a businessman, which product would you focus on?

And I agree, paying vast sums for big names probably does not make sense.

Oh I agree that most Test cricket (not all lets be clear) is not able to attract crowds and unless things change it will die its natural death irrespective of the prayers and blessings of well wishers.

Of course, as far as business is concerned,I would not invest money in Test cricket but I am not as foolish (or have as much money to lose) as Shah Rukh Khan, Priety Zinta and Mukesh Ambani to invest, the kind of sums they have, in IPL too.

A business does not become attractive in a particular business model just because another one is much worse. For a business man each has to be weighed on its on merits.
I have not put these pictures here to show or compare IPL crowds with Test crowds. If you read my long post in response to Pigeon you will understand.

 

[superkingdave]

If the IPL want's better ratings in the uk, its been given another chance, if they sell the rights to someone other than ESPN now that Setanta has collapsed (ie Sky) the ratings would probably at least double

 

[GIMH]

I'd watch it if I wasn't watching anything else or at least have it on in the background if Sky got it

 

[amar123]

IPL not such a big hit after all

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a TV ratings flop outside India and “faces a challenge to attract new fans”, according to a report to be published tomorrow, writes Nick Harris.

Viewing figures showed 96% of the audience was in India and figures elsewhere were so low that they barely registered.

The report, by the independent global sports consultancy, Futures Sport+Entertainment, says ratings fell 20% from 2008 to 2009. It says the decline may relate to “the difficulty of sustaining interest across 59 matches played over five weeks”. The report raises questions over the IPL’s long-term sustainability and the value of paying vast sums to attract big-name players such as Andrew Flintoff.

The Times

Can you provide the link?

 

[Athlai]

Will turn into a major league baseball style format IMO.

 

[Flem274*]

Reckon if they want an international audience they should focus on the Champions League. Would I watch international domestic sides? Yes. Would I forget about it in an 11 month off season? nope, because the domestic ctuff in each country (specifically for me NZ) would keep me interested, to see who will qualify for the Champions League.

 

[Athlai]

Thats a pretty good point. Though the IPL is primarily just the highest profile domestic league while the champions league would be the main event.

Dunno where it will fit in the schedule.

My only gripe with the IPL is that it nicks international players that should be touring, as long as this is avoided I say live and let live.

Kolkata Knight Riders rulz.

 

[Richard]

My only gripe with the IPL is that it nicks international players that should be touring, as long as this is avoided I say live and let live.

Easily do-able, just needs a window. It might have had one right from its inception had it not been rushed through, presumably said rushing through happened because of the ICL.

 

[Athlai]

Easily do-able, just needs a window. It might have had one right from its inception had it not been rushed through, presumably said rushing through happened because of the ICL.

But if we add the Champions league it makes it a little more difficult.

 

[Richard]

The CL is, what, a week-long? two-week? competition. It really shouldn't be too hard to find a window for that.