Statistics from the Indian Premier League in 2026 show that TV ratings and average viewing both dropped by 18.8% and 26%, respectively, in the first half of the season. We look at a few factors that could have caused that drop in views…
Since it began in the summer of 2008, the Indian Premier League has changed not only Indian cricket but also the sport as a whole. In those years, India has become the most powerful cricketing country in the world. After almost 20 years, it is still the crown prize of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The two month T20 event has recently grown from 8 teams to 10.
There are bigger scores in the IPL than ever before; 200 is no longer a safe score in the biggest T20 game in the world. And with the way hitters are beating bowlers these days, it might not be long before the 300 mark is finally broken in the IPL.
The BCCI has a good reason to be worried, even though the IPL has long been the world’s best T20 league and hasn’t been topped yet. After all, far fewer people are watching the 19th season, which is still ongoing. The latest numbers from BARC India and TAM Sports show that TV ratings and average viewing have dropped 18.8% and 26%, respectively, during the first half of IPL 2026.
Based on these numbers, it looks like people are watching the matches, but they’re not staying for long.
So why exactly are people watching less IPL? That could be due to these things
A ban on real money games to blame
Since the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 was passed by the parliament last year, the Indian government has banned real money gaming sites. This has had a big impact on Indian cricket. Leading platforms like Dream11 and My11Circle have made a big difference in the cricket market worldwide. Dream11 was even the main sponsor of the Indian cricket team until the PROG Act.
The fact that IPL viewing is declining at the same time as the real money gaming ban suggests that many league watchers used to stay interested as they were betting on these platforms in the hope of getting a good bonus at the end of matches. They don’t want to watch IPL games this season as sites like Dream11 and My11Circle, which had some of the biggest names in sports advertising for them, are no longer available.
Read also: IPL Was Planned As Independent Business Venture Says Lalit Modi
Too tired from cricket
One could also say that the Indian Premier League is getting longer than ever. The league used to have a total of 56 games in the group stage, followed by four playoff games, including the championship game, when there were eight teams. Since two new teams joined the IPL in 2022, the season now has 74 games, with 70 in the group stage.
Getting tired is possible, especially in the middle of the game in April. ICC events usually last a month, but the ODI World Cup, the sport’s biggest event, lasts a little longer than four weeks. Other T20 leagues around the world, like the Big Bash League and the Pakistan Super League, might run for a little over one month, but not as long as the IPL, which runs for two months.
Read also: Kavya Maran React as Fan Gives Her a Rose During SRH vs RR IPL 2026 Match
Have the IPL games grown dull lately
Last but not least, it’s impossible to ignore how bad bowlers have become over the last few seasons, as teams try to beat scores as high as 264. There was a time when Rajasthan Royals’ attempt to beat Punjab Kings’ 224 run goal in Sharjah almost six years ago was seen as an amazing achievement. In that time, 180 runs was a good league score.
But the grounds are getting easier to bat on and the boundaries are getting shorter, scores between 200 and 230 are being chased down like crazy in the IPL season. This was also a big problem last year and in 2024. Even though the IPL has some of the best players in the world, the growing number of games that are too easy for one team will have hurt it, which may have led to fewer people watching.
I am a versatile content writer from the MP region, covering politics, business, crime, current affairs, entertainment, video games, and sports with clear insights, engaging analysis, and timely, reader-focused updates.
