Sports Desk: Arun Dhumal has strongly dismissed suggestions that interest in the Indian Premier League is declining, asserting that the tournament continues to witness remarkable growth in viewership, fan engagement and commercial value. Speaking about the ongoing IPL 2026 season, the IPL chairman described the tournament as “phenomenal” and pointed to recent audience data as proof of the league’s increasing popularity across platforms.
“Data speaks for itself,” Dhumal told media outlets while referring to a recent JioStar report on IPL viewership trends. According to the report, the IPL’s digital reach has grown by 15 per cent this season, while television reach has increased by 25 per cent compared to last year. Regional-language watch time has also witnessed a massive rise of around 42 per cent. Dhumal highlighted that the tournament has already crossed 1.1 billion views this season, underlining the league’s enormous global and domestic appeal. “There may have been the occasional off day, but based on overall feedback and numbers, it has been a phenomenal season and the growth will continue,” he said confidently. The IPL chairman also pointed to the soaring valuations of franchise teams as evidence that investors remain highly optimistic about the future of the tournament. Recently, Royal Challengers Bengaluru was reportedly acquired by a consortium for approximately $1.78 billion, while Rajasthan Royals attracted a valuation of around $1.63 billion after a stake sale to new owners.
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According to Dhumal, such massive valuations clearly indicate strong confidence in the IPL’s long-term commercial potential, especially ahead of the next media rights cycle. “If there were concerns about future media rights valuations, teams would not receive these kinds of valuations or attract such strong investor interest,” Dhumal explained. He further expressed optimism that the next IPL media rights deal for the upcoming five-year cycle would surpass the current valuation significantly. The IPL continues to remain one of the most valuable sporting leagues globally, attracting millions of viewers every season through television and digital platforms. The growing popularity of regional-language broadcasts, expanding digital audiences and rising franchise investments suggest that the league’s influence in world cricket continues to strengthen despite periodic debates over viewer fatigue. With blockbuster matches, emerging young stars and expanding commercial opportunities, IPL 2026 appears to have reinforced the tournament’s status as a dominant force in global T20 cricket.
