KPL 2017 TV viewership scales new heights

Mysuru, 12 September 2017: The Karbonn Smartphones Karnataka Premier League (KPL) 2017, powered by Cycle Pure Agarbathies, has seen some thrilling cricket on the field with some top notch performances by the players.

The good news for KPL does not stop there with the television viewership figures for the first match of the season being released by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India. The first match of the 2017 season saw Namma Shivamogga take on newly inducted franchise Bengaluru Blasters. Namma Shivamogga won a closely contested encounter by four wickets.

This year the tournament is being telecast for the first time ever by Star Sports with a star-studded commentary panel which also includes former Australian players Dean Jones, Brett Lee and Michael Hussey, ex-New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, former India cricketers Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Deep Dasgupta, former Karnataka Ranji Trophy player Fazal Khaleel and noted sports presenter Charu Sharma. Also presenting the telecast are anchors Mayanti Langer and Sanjana Ganesan.

Viewership numbers

The first match was watched by 6.5 million viewers nationally. In Karnataka alone, the reach has grown by almost 4.5 times to 0.9 in 2016.

Mr. Vinay Mruthyunjaya, KPL Governing Council Member &Official Spokesperson, KSCA said: “KPL is a platform for players of Karnataka to showcase their talent to a wide audience. They gain a lot by being part of the tournament. The latest viewership figures of Star Sports is a testimony to the impact the players have had with their performances. Thank you to all those connected with the broadcast operations as well in ensuring top-class coverage for a massive audience.”

The tournament moves to Hubbali on 13 September. The tournament’s semi-finals and final will also be played at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium in Hubbali.

The KPL 2017 is being played in the memory of SDNR Wadiyar, the former president of the KSCA and the scion of the Mysore royal family.