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FTA Star Sports First zips PKL up the viewership ratings ladder
MUMBAI: Vivo Pro Kabaddi, an initiative by Mashal Sports and Star India, has touched great heights in terms of viewership. The sport that has an involvement of teams from India has managed to far surpass cricket – both of the international and local variety, in terms of viewership.
Star India’s newly launched and the only FTA sports channel in India- Star Sports First has been ruling Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly top 5 Sports channels lists (All India (U+R) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals) right from the first week that it was launched – week 30 of 2017 (Saturday, 22 July 207 to Friday, 28 July 2017. The channel was officially launched on 21 July 2017. It stood first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Sports channels in week 30 with 148.506 million impressions. Further, in its very first week, the first Pro Kabbadi League (PKL) match between the Hyderabad and Chennai teams on 28 July 2017 garnered it third place in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) list of top 5 Sports programmes with 4.464 million impressions.
Over all, with only 23 matches being played till 11 August 2017, PKL has garnered 328 million Impressions across all eight channels it is being aired. Compare this with the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) – across 24 matches the local cricket league could garner a modest total of 9.16 million impressions for the three channels it was broadcast on – Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD and Star Sports Tamil. Or compare the numbers garnered by the first and the second Test cricket matches between India and Sri Lanka – the first test match that was pared to just 4 days (26 July to 29 July) because of team India’s superlative performance scored a total of 1.86 million impressions for the three channels it was aired on – Sony Six (SD + HD) and Sony Ten 3. Test 2 ratings were a tad better – 1.86 million impressions during the four days it was broadcast on.
According to BARC data, over four weeks (weeks 29 to 32) viewership share of Sports Networks on the basis of impressions was Star Sports Network 63 percent, Sony 35 percent and others 2 percent. BARC data for the top 5 channels in the Sports genre for four weeks (29 to 32) indicates that Star Sports was the most watched Sports channel with 563.555 million impressions that it garnered over 3 weeks since its inceptions. Its network peer – Star Sports 1 Hindi was the second most watched channel with combined 419.219 million impressions over 4 weeks, followed by Sony Ten 1 with 357.229 million impressions also over 4 weeks at third place. Star Sports 2 with 276.826 million impressions over 4 weeks was at fourth place followed by Sony Six with 218.41 million impressions also over four weeks.
It was only the final game of the Women’s World Cup Cricket Final match between India and England on 23 July 2017 that managed to draw a large viewership vis-à-vis PKL during the start of the four week period under consideration – the event had 5.922 million impressions on Star Sports 1 Hindi and 5.31 million impressions on Star Sports 2, or a total of 11.232 million impressions across the two channels.
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NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
