Why IPL Is So Popular Around The World

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The 16th season of the Indian Premier League took place in 2023. The IPL continues to break records in popularity. Now the league is already one of the largest sports organizations in the world, far ahead of the NBA, NHL, and FIFA. You can use a site or app for 4RaBet betting cricket. 

Moreover, not only Indians love the IPL: its matches are watched all over the world, outside of India. What exactly is the secret of such popularity?

IPL Popularity In Numbers

First, let’s understand, how we can measure IPL popularity in the numbers: 

Year of Birth	2008, it means 2023 ended the 16th season of the IPL
Fanbase in India, by Instagram followers of all IPL teams	52.7 million
How many Indians watch IPL	67%, by YouGov survey in 2022
Value of the brand IPL, standalone	$3.2 billion in 2023, $1.8 billion in 2022 (up to 80%)
Value of all IPL teams	$11.2 billion in 2023, $10.9 billion in 2022
Countries where IPL watch	125
Total viewers, maximum	around 505 million in IPL 2023
Place in YouGov Global Sports ranking	2, after FIFA

Why IPL Is So Popular: The Reasons

As we see from the written numbers, IPL is very famous around the world.

But what are the reasons for the popularity? Several strong reasons make people all over the world love IPL.

Reason 1: The Format

The T20 format, which the IPL follows, often sees a balance between bat and ball, making matches more unpredictable and exciting. The shorter format encourages aggressive play, resulting in more boundaries and sixes.

The IPL season is relatively short compared to other cricket leagues or tournaments. This condensed schedule helps maintain audience interest, preventing fatigue that may occur during longer tournaments.

Reason 2: The Role of The Owners

The owners of the IPL teams are famous and respected people in Indian society. They are businessmen, actors, and actresses, and sportsmen. Many of them use their reputation and fame to promote their team: they appear at public events, matches, meetings with fans, and participate in promotions. 

Reason 3: The Hometowns & Fanbases

The league follows a franchise-based model, with teams representing different cities or regions. This model adds a sense of loyalty and passion among fans, as they support their local or favorite franchises.

Here is the table with the total population of the IPL team’s hometowns: 

Team	Hometown	Population of the city
Mumbai Indians (MI)	Mumbai, Maharashtra	20 million
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	10 million
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)	Bangalore (Bengaluru), Karnataka	12 million
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)	Kolkata, West Bengal	4.5 million
Delhi Capitals (DC)	Delhi	31 million
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)	Hyderabad, Telangana	7 million
Rajasthan Royals (RR)	Jaipur, Rajasthan	7 million
Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) (PBKS)	Mohali/Chandigarh	1 million
Lucknow Supergiants (LSG)	Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh	3 million
Gujarat Titans (GT)	Ahmedabad, Gujarat	8.6 million

In total, the hometowns of the IPL teams have a population of more than 100 million Indians, not counting the population of the states of these regions. 

Each team places a strong emphasis on engaging with fans through social media, interactive websites, and various promotional activities. This engagement helps build a strong and loyal fan base.

Reason 4: Big Sponsors

Among the sponsors of each IPL team, you find big companies. On one side, big companies give teams a lot of money, allowing them to show high-quality games, and beautiful shows, and also interact with fans.

On the other hand, large companies are also known among ordinary Indians. Their products and services are used by millions of citizens of the country. They pay taxes and create jobs.

Reason 5: Cricket Popularity

Cricket is by far the most popular sport in India. It enjoys a massive fan following and is deeply ingrained in the country’s culture. Cricket matches, particularly those involving the Indian national team, attract enormous viewership and passionate support across the nation. The Indian Premier League (IPL), a professional Twenty20 cricket league in India, has further contributed to the sport’s popularity, combining cricketing skills with entertainment and attracting a broad audience. While other sports like field hockey, football (soccer), badminton, and kabaddi also have their enthusiasts, cricket stands out as the dominant and most widely followed sport in India.

Reason 6: Icons Among The Cricketers

Within the IPL, over the years of the league’s existence, real cricket icons have been born. For example: Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle — are just a part of the long list of iconic cricketers from IPL teams. 

They keep fans interested in IPL matches, attract new fans, and increase Indians’ love for the game. The most famous players have multi-million dollar endorsement deals so they can be seen not only on the cricket field but also off it.

Reason 7: Government Control

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is controlled and governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The BCCI is the national governing body for cricket in India and is responsible for organizing and overseeing all forms of cricket in the country, including domestic and international competitions.

The participation of a government agency solves many bureaucratic problems that private businesses may encounter. Also, with the participation of the state, the league can hold large-scale shows at a high level. For the government, IPL is not only an entertainment project, but also a source of income. Therefore, the Indian authorities are closely monitoring that the IPL shows an interesting game.

Reason 8: The Auction

The auction system for players before each season generates considerable interest. Teams bid for players, and the dynamics of team composition can change significantly, keeping fans engaged and speculating about team strategies.

Conclusion

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is incredibly popular and widely considered one of the most successful and followed cricket leagues globally. In summary, the IPL’s popularity is evidenced by its large viewership, global reach, social media engagement, and the overall impact it has on the cricketing landscape and popular culture.

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