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WC: Ratings of non-India matches stay a concern
MUMBAI: The cricket World Cup is showing the first signs of softening in ratings compared to its previous edition in 2007, though in terms of reach it is far ahead.
The first 20 matches have yielded an average TVR of 1.92, much less than the average TVR of 2.48 that was recorded in the same period of the 2007 World Cup.
However, India has played a match less compared to the earlier edition. For the two matches involving Bangladesh and England, the matches clocked a TVR of 7.47 and 10.97 respectively.
In the 2007 World Cup, India had played three matches out of 20 and clocked a TVR of 8.85 against Bangladesh, 10.10 against Bermuda and 12.06 against Sri Lanka.
The epic India-England match, which ended in a tie, is the top-rated contest so far as an astronomical 82 million viewers tuned in. The match got a peak TVR of 20.96 and an average TVR of 10.97, according to data from Tam Sports (All India, C&S 4+).
Star Cricket earned a TVR of 5.3 for that match while Star Sports, which has a Hindi feed, got a TVR of 2.75. Doordarshan managed a TVR of 1.95 and ESPN a rating of 1.07.
Experts believe that a combination of one-sided matches and rain in a crucial encounter between Australia and Sri Lanka resulted in the average ratings for the World Cup falling below 2 TVR for the first time. While the contest between Australia and Sri Lanka got a 0.10 TVR, 23 million viewers tuned in for it, showing that there was interest to watch the duel.
Interestingly, the average ratings for the non-India matches have stood flat at 1.10 TVR, like in the previous World Cup.
A media buyer expressed disappointment at the fact that the non-India match ratings have stayed flat. “While the reach has gone up, we were hoping that since the event was in India there would be added interest that would boost ratings,” said a buyer on condition of anonymity.
The England versus Ireland encounter, which the Irish won in a famous run chase, has fared well. It got a TVR of 1.78 and a reach of 32 million.
Pakistan continues to attract interest among viewers, even if they are playing against a weak team. Their match against Canada got a TVR of 1.69, while 38 million viewers tuned in.
In 2007, a Pakistan match against Zimbabwe got a TVR of 1.01 and a reach of 21 million.
This time only 14 million viewers tuned in to see a one-sided Netherlands versus South Africa match which got a TVR of 0.40. In 2007, a match between South Africa and Scotland got a TVR of 0.55. Eighteen million viewers had tuned in for that match.
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Huella Services appoints Pankajj Rai as vice president – Ad sales
Media veteran with 18 years experience to lead monetisation and partnerships.
MUMBAI: When the ad game gets smarter, companies often look for someone who knows how to sell the story behind the screen. Huella Services has appointed Pankajj Rai as vice president for Ad sales, a move aimed at strengthening the company’s advertising and monetisation strategy as it expands its technology-led media offerings.
Rai brings over 18 years of experience across broadcast and digital media and will oversee monetisation initiatives for Newsroom AI, while also helping shape Huella’s next phase of development in interactive and AI-led advertising solutions.
Based in Delhi NCR, he will work closely with the founders and leadership team to align product capabilities with market needs, while driving partner development and go-to-market strategies for the company’s advertising platforms.
Rai’s career spans senior roles across some of India’s prominent media organisations. Before joining Huella, he served as business head for Wion and Zee Business at Zee Media Corporation. Earlier, he was national sales head at QYOU Media, where he led commercial partnerships and advertising growth.
His experience also includes managing commercial operations for major television brands such as Zee TV, Zee Cinema and Zee Bollywood, with responsibilities spanning North and East India.
Commenting on the appointment, Huella, co-founder and CEO Prrincey Roy said the company is strengthening its leadership team as it prepares for the next phase of growth.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Pankajj at a time when Huella is expanding both its portfolio and ambition. His depth of experience and strategic lens make him an invaluable addition as we build not just better products, but better outcomes for our partners and brands,” Roy said.
Huella Services is currently building technology driven advertising platforms that integrate AI powered content ecosystems with brand engagement, reflecting a broader shift in the media industry towards data driven and interactive advertising formats.
With Rai now leading ad sales and monetisation, the company aims to deepen relationships with advertisers while scaling its AI driven media products in an increasingly competitive digital advertising landscape.
