While discussing how people consume the Indian Premier League, the IPL founder argued that analysts are stuck in the past by only focusing on traditional television viewership.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe mistake many analysts make is treating IPL like it\u2019s still a pure television property. It is not. The IPL has turned into a multi-screen, multi-platform entertainment ecosystem,\u201d Modi told IANS in an exclusive conversation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMeasuring a digital-first global sports property only through television ratings is like measuring the internet through newspaper circulation.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He stated that the audience has not left the IPL but has simply shifted to different platforms as sports consumption habits change around the world.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe audience has not disappeared. The audience has migrated,\u201d Modi explained, emphasizing that \u201cthe screen changed, the audience did not.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Modi pointed out that much of the recent criticism about IPL viewership comes from selectively interpreting television data.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe headlines shouting \u2018IPL viewership decline\u2019 are quoting one metric: Average Minute Audience on linear television. That is just one part of the ecosystem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He argued that the larger changes in sports broadcasting worldwide are being overlooked, as audiences increasingly turn to OTT platforms, mobile devices, and connected televisions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cViewers are moving from broadcast TV to OTT. Families are splitting their viewing across devices. Young audiences prefer mobile and connected TV. Advertisers are looking for measurable engagement, not just TV ratings,\u201d Modi said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Emphasizing the scale of the tournament's reach, Modi claimed that IPL\u2019s cumulative audience across platforms during the 2026 season had already surpassed 1.06 billion viewers even before the playoffs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThat is not a decline. That is an expansion,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Modi also highlighted that television can no longer serve as the only measure for sporting success.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cLinear TV was once the only screen. Now it\u2019s just one screen among many,\u201d he said, adding that connected TV concurrency had increased by 61 percent year-on-year while the watch time during the opening weekend had grown by 26 percent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe audience did not leave IPL. They upgraded their screens,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Making comparisons with other major sports leagues, Modi noted that the IPL is experiencing the same digital shift seen in leagues like the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Premier League, and Olympic Games.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis is not unique to cricket. Traditional TV is fading while streaming grows, mobile attracts younger viewers, and connected TV becomes the main household screen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
However, Modi believes the IPL's transition has been particularly pronounced because of India\u2019s mobile-first digital ecosystem.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cNo sporting league in the world\u2014be it EPL, NBA, or NFL\u2014has seen this kind of transition. Sure, our population plays a role, but that oversimplifies things. Availability doesn\u2019t mean consumption\u2014in the case of the IPL, it does,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Modi explained why advertisers are increasingly choosing digital platforms over traditional television.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cTelevision can tell you a household watched. Digital can tell you who watched, how long, on what device, whether they interacted, and if they made a purchase. That is the future of advertising,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He shared that 125 new brands had joined the IPL\u2019s digital advertising ecosystem this season, while connected TV ad prices continued to rise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWatch time across all platforms is expected to surpass last year\u2019s record levels,\u201d Modi added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
According to Modi, the true measure of modern sports success lies not in single-screen television ratings but in \u201ccumulative reach, total watch time, engagement depth, concurrency, advertiser demand, and cross-platform influence.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
By those standards, he believes the IPL remains unparalleled globally.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cProjected combined watch time for IPL 2026: 850\u2013900 billion minutes. That is extraordinary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Modi also urged for the swift creation of an accurate and standardized digital measurement system for Indian sports broadcasting, similar to BARC for television.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time we have a proper measurement system like BARC for digital viewership. It\u2019s overdue. Insights and a detailed understanding of audience profiles and viewing habits are essential,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Summing up his view on the league\u2019s growth, Modi said the IPL in 2026 is no longer just a cricket competition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time we have a proper measurement system like BARC for digital viewership. It\u2019s overdue. Insights and a detailed understanding of audience profiles and viewing habits are essential,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe measurement model changed. The audience behavior changed. The scale did not shrink. It expanded. The IPL did not lose its audience. The audience simply changed screens. Measuring a digital-first global sports property only through television ratings is like measuring the internet through newspaper circulation.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n