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Sports viewership grows by over 90% in the last 4 years: BARC report
MUMBAI: The sports viewership on television, with around 90 per cent of growth, has gained most in the last four years among other genres, says Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India in the yearly report of 2019. It was mostly dominated by cricketing events such as IPL and the world cup.
According to the report, the 2109 International Cricket Council's Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan was the most-watched game between 2016-2019 garnering over 29 billion viewing minutes. The Indo-Pak match was one of the five events in 2019 that had garnered maximum eyeballs on the television screens.
“Within sports, cricket retains its numero uno position; live cricket pockets 58 percent of viewing minutes of sports broadcasts. Beyond cricket, the most-watched sports on TV are kabaddi, wrestling and football, and combined they corner 85 per cent on viewing minutes,” the BARC 2019 report reads.
Similarly, 2019 was an important year with respect to sports, especially cricket. The first-ever Pink Ball Test Match played in India was also a big draw; day one of the test match was viewed by 43 million people and clocked 2 billion viewing minutes.
The report also mentions that more than 70 per cent of rural India watches the kabaddi tournament, whereas at least 52 per cent of urban India gets entertained by the wrestling matches. Similarly, football gets more than half of its viewership from Kerala, Assam, Sikkim, and West Bengal.
India’s biggest domestic cricketing event, Indian Premier League, has only got bigger in 2019 since its inception in 2008. “In 2019, 424 million viewers, which is 51 per cent of total TV viewing population, watched live matches of IPL 12. It also showed that an additional 9 per cent watched tournament in restaurants, pubs and other such OOH locations.”
The top ten advertisers for IPL 12 were Vivo V15/V15 Pro, Mobile Premier League, Swiggy, Bjyus, Fogg, Vimal Elaichi Pan Masala, and Sprite, among others. However, this year, the IPL’s thirteenth edition seems to be in doldrums amid the rising concern of the novel coronavirus.
The 2019 marquee event ICC cricket world cup had pulled at least 509 million viewers at home and out-of-home, as 10 nations battled for supremacy. And, at least 2 million seconds of advertising featuring 192 brands played out over the tournament’s broadcast.
The tournament was in England and Wales, and was supported by top advertisers such as BJYUS, Disney, Puro Heathy Salt, Fogg, Phonepee, Kamla Pasand Pan Masala, Nissan Kicks, and Vimal Elaichi Pan Masala, among others. This sports event was only viewed the most till the time India was in the tournament. As India was out of the race in the semis, the viewership declined.
Despite viewership growth in the last four years, the sports genre has been ranked in the last position with a mere 1 per cent of total advertising volumes. genres such as news, GEC, and movies continue to account for over three-fourth of total ad volumes in 2019.
Similarly, ESP Properties, entertainment and sports division of GroupM India, in its report, had said that the overall sports sponsorship industry grew by 17 per cent to Rs 9000 crore, and for the first time ever, the on-ground sponsorship grew by 25 per cent to Rs 2000 crore.
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.
