The recently concluded IPL 2018 auctions which was broadcasted in Star Sports attracted an overwhelming response. According to the latest data, the marquee auction attracted 46.5 million viewers across two days.
Star's viewership jumped 5 times on TV as well as on its digital platform, Hotstar. 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.
"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," said Sanjay Gupta, MD, Star India.
Rahul Johri, CEO, BCCI, 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."
Social media was kept busy too during the two day auction period as hashtags #IPLAuction and #IPL2018 trended on Twitter, recording a 91% positive sentiment score amongst the audiences.
Tamil Nadu and Maharastra were the cities which yielded the maximum revenue during the event. With the Chennai Super Kings returning to the IPL fold after serving the 2-year ban, Tamil Nadu's craze behind the auctions was understandable. CSK will see the comeback of MS Dhoni at the helm and will go for the title in their comeback season.
Maharashtra on the other has always loved its cricket. Mumbai Indians have been one of the most popular IPL franchises which has the legacy of Sachin Tendulkar to its core. Also, the fact that they are the defending IPL champions meant that the fans were eagerly excited to know as to how the new team was building up.
