5 reasons why IPL TV ratings are going downhill

When the IPL was launched in 2008, it was touted to be the ultimate cricket extravaganza. To be fair, it delivered everything that it promised. The sizzle of Bollywood, voluptuous cheerleaders and of course plenty of exciting T20 cricket created an irresistible concoction that was lapped up greedily by the public. This was more or less the story for the first three editions. Since last year though, the bubble has slowly but surely started to burst. After an sharp decline in the TV ratings for IPL IV compared to IPL III, it has been reported that 40 % of the advertisement slots for IPL V still remain unsold while the rate for each 10-second slot has come down to Rs. 5 lakh from Rs. 8 lakh. This can only imply that potential sponsors expect the ratings to fall further. Even Bollywood, which had so far refrained from competing with the IPL, is releasing 22 films this season. What can be the possible reasons for this degradation?

5. The ‘novelty factor’ is gone

In the pre-IPL days, India had never witnessed dancing cheerleaders, pulsating music, Bollywood Badshahs and cricket in the same place at the same time. Lalit Modi changed the name of the game and created a spectacle that simply had to be seen. Though these factors proved excellent crowd pullers initially, their sustained grip over the public is questionable. People know what to expect , the novelty has worn off and the only thing that can assure public support is quality cricket. Period.

4. International participation is quite patchy

The BCCI, with all its bullying, has antagonized other cricket boards and as a result there is no two-month window for the IPL during which complete international participation can be ensured. The Australians are touring the Caribbean while England is playing in Sri Lanka, hence a large group of international stars is unavailable. Pakistanis, who always dazzle with their talent, cannot participate for non-cricketing reasons. However, it is not difficult to sympathize with these cricket boards. Why should they stop all cricket for two months unless they get a fair share of the IPL booty?

3. An overdose of cricket

After witnessing an utter rout of Team India in Australia and then watching Bangladesh spank the team in the Asia Cup within a period of three months, cricket is not the first thing on the minds of the Indian public. There are other avenues of entertainment which won’t lead to disappointment. Even last year, when the Indian team was on a high following the World Cup win, the average Indian fan was too overdosed to enjoy another two months of cricket. Perhaps it is time for the BCCI to retrospect and start putting limits on the extent to which cricketers can actually be milked for money.

2. Team loyalties taken for granted

The Manchester United team of 2012 is more or less the same team that it was in 2008. Barcelona does not make mass changes every three years. This is one of the prime reasons why the premier football clubs have such fanatical fan bases. Fans associate players with teams and if the cricketers they root for keep hopping from one team to the other, they cannot be blamed for losing interest in the IPL. Also worrying is the lack of local talent in the respective teams. Barring Tendulkar and Sehwag, none of the major Indian stars play for their respective cities and this can disillusion fans.

1. A Wretched Viewing experience

When a wicket falls, we expect to see the replay quickly and not a Pepsi ad. If something exciting happens during the last ball of the over, we don’t like missing any part of it. “Strategic Timeouts” may give a chance to push in even more ads but to us, they are nothing but a nuisance. These are not extravagant demands but basic needs for the people watching cricket on TV. Sadly, the BCCI and the broadcasters have always taken the Indian fan for granted and the commercialization gets obnoxious at times. I cringe when my favourite commentators suddenly start talking about the virtues of a car or mobile like two-bit salesmen. If you want people to watch your programme, the least you can do is to make sure that you don’t irritate them.

I have no experience in the field of broadcasting but I think common sense dictates that if even a few of the above mentioned problems are addressed, the IPL will again start to transform into what it once was: the ultimate cricket extravaganza.

Read other articles on IPL:

• Indian Premier League – Entertainment in itself
• Indian Paisa League to Indian Players’ League