Commercial appeal of IPL begins to convince the doubters
It’s difficult to argue that the third instalment of the Indian Premier League has not been a success so far. The action on the field has been gripping, and the interest off it has been huge.
The action is much more accessible for IPL3 than it had been for the first two tournaments, with live television coverage supported by internet broadcasts via YouTube, as well as a well-constructed, information-rich ‘official’ website.
The website recorded 15 million exclusive pageviews on the first day of the tournament, whilst the YouTube coverage of the Deccan Chargers against the Kolkata Knight Riders attracted 8 million viewers.
Attendances at the Indian cricket grounds have also been very strong, presumably helped in part by the fact that spectators were deprived any action in IPL 2, which was moved to South Africa due to security concerns.
The interest in the tournament and popularity of its coverage has seen new sponsors queuing up to feature on the YouTube channel – Airtel and Brylcreem are the latest to sign up with Google, joining big brands such as HSBC.
With these success stories, the Indian Premier League is certainly here to stay, and the other cricketing nations will need to accommodate it, rather than treat it like an irritating mosquito that just won’t go away.
