The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is witnessing a notable slowdown in its traditional television performance, with fresh data from BARC India and TAM Sports showing a sharp drop in linear TV ratings and advertiser participation during the first half of the tournament.
The decline comes amid a broader shift in viewer behaviour towards digital streaming and Connected TV (CTV) platforms, reshaping how audiences consume cricket's biggest franchise league.
According to the data, IPL 2026's television ratings dropped 18.8% year-on-year to 3.71 from 4.57 in 2025. Average viewership also declined 26%, slipping to 7.84 million viewers from 10.6 million last year.
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The tournament's overall TV reach has also narrowed, with unique viewers falling 8.3% to 113.61 million from 123.96 million in 2025.
Analysts said the sharper decline in Average Minute Audience (AMA) compared to overall reach indicates that viewers are still tuning into matches, but are spending significantly less time watching on linear television.
“The data points towards fragmentation in sports consumption, where audiences are increasingly splitting time between mobile streaming, connected TVs and short-format digital content,” a media industry executive tracking sports broadcasting trends said.
The slowdown is also visible on the advertising front.
The number of brands advertising on IPL television broadcasts has dropped 31% this season, declining to around 45 brands from more than 65 in 2025. The report noted that nearly 44 brands exited the IPL advertising ecosystem, while only 24 new brands entered this year.
Industry observers attributed part of the decline to restrictions imposed on e-gaming companies in 2025, a category that previously occupied a sizeable portion of television ad inventory during IPL broadcasts.
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In terms of category share, mouth freshener brands have emerged as the largest advertising segment this season, contributing more than 14% of total ad volumes.
While television metrics have weakened, the digital story remains far more resilient.
JioStar reported a combined digital reach of 515 million during the opening weekend of IPL 2026, while total watch time surged to 32.6 billion minutes, underscoring the rapid migration of audiences towards streaming-led consumption.
For the Board of Control for Cricket in India and media rights holders, the contrasting trends present both an opportunity and a challenge.
Although the broader IPL ecosystem continues to be valued at over Rs 76,000 crore, softer television metrics could complicate negotiations in the next media rights cycle after 2027, particularly as digital platforms are expected to command a larger share of future valuations.
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