MEC-Meritus study predicts 2.6 pc rise in TV ratings for IPL 6

MEC India has announced the findings of its IPL TV Rating Estimation Study. Now in its fifth edition, the study is based on a combination of primary research and analytics. The research was conducted in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Pune, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. As in previous years, the study has been carried out in association with Meritus, WPP’s analytics company.

According to the study, the average TV rating for the league stage is expected to go up from 3.8 last year to 3.9 points - an increase of 2.6 per cent (15+ years, Male/Female, SEC ABC), with games played by IPL teams Mumbai Indians (4.5), Kolkata Knight Riders (4.2) and Chennai Super Kings (4.1) expected to have the highest ratings.

Like previous years, home team (84 pc), favourite team (79 pc) and Indian stars (64 pc) continue to be the deciding factors to watch a match. The report informs that time of the match (49 per cent) is also gaining importance.

According to the study, Mumbai Indians (23 pc), Chennai Super Kings (19 pc) and Kolkata Knight Riders (14 pc) are the most popular teams. Support for Hyderabad Sun Risers (earlier Deccan Chargers) has gone up by 200 per cent (2 pc to 6 pc) for this edition, while Royal Challengers Bangalore has dropped by 50 pc (12 pc to 8 pc).

The report notes that Sachin Tendulkar (80), MS Dhoni (79), Yuvraj Singh (76), Virat Kohli (74) and Virender Sehwag (73) are the most popular Indian players in the League, while Chris Gayle (60), Ricky Ponting (55), Brett Lee (51) and Kevin Pietersen (50) are most popular foreign players.

T Gangadhar, managing director, MEC India, said, "Our study suggests that IPL seems to have matured as a property. The study clearly establishes that ratings in the first phase (first 18 games) impact the fate of the entire league. With Pepsi activating their title sponsorship in a big way, the BCCI launching the IPL Fantasy League and India’s strong performance against Australia, the first stage of the league could get further momentum."

“We expect the IPL Fantasy League to become a key part of the live broadcast experience and as a result, social chatter around IPL could grow significantly,” Gangadhar added.

Sunder Muthuraman, managing partner, Meritus Analytics, also believes that the IPL brand is reflecting the behaviour of a typical mature consumer product. “Our proprietary survey, that is integral to the forecast, shows that there is a segment of audience who will watch more than last year (say, the loyalists) and another segment who will watch lesser (say, the rejecters). Given that the former segment is larger than the latter, the ratings are likely to be marginally higher than in 2012. Given our past successes, we hope our pioneering rating forecast methodology will be adopted by all broadcasters and advertisers," Muthuraman added.