Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi has expressed strong confidence that the cash-rich T20 league will double in size over the next three years. He also asserted that the future of cricket viewership lies on digital platforms rather than traditional television.
IPL's Remarkable Growth Since 2008
Since its inception in 2008, the IPL has witnessed remarkable growth in terms of viewership, commercial value, and global reach, evolving into one of the world's most-watched sporting leagues. Speaking exclusively to ANI about the future trajectory of the tournament, Modi was asked how he sees the league evolving in the coming years. His response was succinct: "Double in three years."
The inaugural season of IPL attracted millions of television viewers across India. Over the years, the league consistently expanded its audience through increased broadcast reach, star players, competitive franchises, and the rapid growth of digital streaming platforms. The popularity of the league surged further with the widespread adoption of smartphones and OTT platforms, enabling fans to watch matches on the move. Today, the tournament attracts hundreds of millions of viewers across television and digital platforms each season, making it one of the most valuable and widely followed cricket properties in the world.
Shift from Television to OTT
Responding to a question about reports of declining viewership, Lalit Modi said the trend reflects changing audience behavior rather than diminishing interest in the tournament. Viewers are increasingly shifting towards OTT platforms. "It's going down on television. Yeah, Television is a dumb box. Everything is on your vertical. Everything is moving to OTT. And I always said it would. We are the fastest-growing OTT country. We have a billion people who are interested in cricket. They are watching it on the go," he said.
Highlighting the growing significance of digital consumption, Modi stated that current audience measurement systems do not fully capture the scale of viewership on OTT platforms and called for more comprehensive metrics. "The data is much better. There is no rating information on OTT right now. That needs to come out. And you're looking at somebody putting on a box and the signal going through it. And you don't know whether somebody is watching. Now you get real data on who is watching when. And nobody's going to watch the whole match. I'm globally travelling," he added.
IPL Dominates Global Conversations
The IPL founder also said the league continues to dominate conversations wherever he travels around the world. When asked whether people frequently discuss the IPL with him, Modi replied, "That's all they talk about. Everybody. That's all they talk about. They don't talk about the Modi family business. They don't talk about any other businesses of ours. And everybody just wants to talk about the IPL."
Meanwhile, the IPL continues to strengthen its position as one of the most influential sporting brands globally, with sustained growth in fan engagement, sponsorship, and digital consumption. In the IPL 2026 final held in Ahmedabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained their title with a victory over Gujarat Titans, successfully defending their championship crown. RCB gunned down a tricky target of 156 runs to join five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in the elite list of clubs to have won back-to-back IPL titles.
