As per Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data, PKL-9’s first 114 matches have garnered a cumulative reach of 202 million viewers, as of December 2, which is 13 million higher than the previous season’s reach of 189 million for the entire tournament.
The professional men’s kabaddi league’s latest season kicked off on October 7 and will conclude on December 17.
“We’ve crossed 200 million viewers, which is a big mark because no other league in the country other than IPL (Indian Premier League) touches that kind of a number,” Disney Star head of sports Sanjog Gupta said.
The viewership growth is driven by audience growth in markets like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.
“We are also witnessing some green shoots in Gujarat, and in some North markets like Rajasthan and Delhi,” Gupta said.
According to him, PKL has taken deep roots in certain pockets due to a vibrant kabaddi culture in those markets coupled with the presence of teams from these states and the regionalisation strategy followed by Star Sports.
BARC data suggests that 35% of PKL’s overall viewership comes from the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada feeds. These three regional feeds contribute anywhere between 70% to 90% of the league’s viewership in their respective markets. “Regional feeds have been a big driver of growth for PKL,” Gupta said.
Apart from the Star Sports network, Disney Star airs select PKL matches on Hindi, Kannada, and Telugu movie channels to drive more sampling for the property. “Our objective is to bring back core fans, and also recruit new fans by airing games on movie channels,” Gupta said.
