Record ratings for IPL in the UK

It’s official – IPL 2010 has been proclaimed a ratings success in the United Kingdom for ITV’s digital channel ITV4.

Despite the continued suspicion of Twenty20 cricket amongst the ‘purists’, as well as England’s own ongoing Test series with Bangladesh – contributing to a lack of English representation in the tournament up to now – the early signs indicate the IPL is starting to seep into the British consciousness.

Viewing figures released for the opening three days showed a peak average of more than 400,000 per broadcast – 10 times that of the figure generated by Setanta, who covered IPL 2 in the UK.

It may still be early days but the signs are encouraging – particularly with the quality of cricket showing no sign of diminishing as the tournament progresses.

Naturally the Asian ex-pat audience in Britain will have boosted the popularity of ITV4’s coverage and it is this section of the population that has proven most difficult to capture for local broadcasters.

The IPL offers fans a concoction of cricket and Bollywood that has proven irresistible to Indians, in particular, both in the stands at various stadia and in the comfort of their homes throughout the world.

British television is beginning to see the viability of such a product through the first set of BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) figures registered.

For the record, they were:

Friday 12th March: 479,000
Saturday 13th March: 402,000
Sunday 14th March: 401,000

The numbers above exclude ITV4+1's ratings and any recorded elements viewed later.

ITV4 have taken care to appeal to both the indigenous and ex-pat audiences through their choice of presenters. Matt Smith provides a familiar face to sports fans through his work in football and a variety of other sports, while actress and model Mandira Bedi offers the Bollywood glamour.

Bedi has been afforded the most prominent UK televisual role given to a woman for a major cricket tournament, yet her presence is not something that will seem unfamiliar to those who have followed the game in India.

Pundits have so far ranged from Graham Thorpe and Alec Stewart to John Emburey and Graeme Hick, with more set to follow over the coming weeks as the appeal grows.

Bedi and Smith play the part of passionate cricket followers keen to learn more from those who have been there and done that.

Hick’s explanation of why the Mongoose bat has proved such an effective weapon for Matthew Hayden, for example, is a necessary ingredient in looking beyond the raw statistics of the game.

With further big names poised to join the IPL fray over the next few weeks – Kevin Pietersen chief among them – the gathering ITV4 throng looks set to hit the duffers for six a few more times before the end of April is out.