IPL to be live-streamed in Bhojpuri for the first time starting with 2023 season

For the first time in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the commentary on the live-streaming platform will also be available in Bhojpuri. The upcoming edition of the cash-rich tournament is all set to be live-streamed for free on the Jio Cinema app and website. Viacom18, which purchased the digital rights of the IPL, has reportedly decided that the commentary on the Jio Cinema app and website will also be available in Bhojpuri. 

Viacom18 secured the digital rights of the IPL for a whopping sum of Rs 20,500 crores. Earlier, both the TV and digital rights of the IPL were with Star Sports Network. However, for the first time in the history of the tournament, the TV and digital rights have been sold to two different entities. The previous seasons of the IPL were available for live streaming in only six languages, including English, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil.

As per reports, Viacom18 has decided to introduce Bhojpuri commentary for the IPL this year. Bhojpuri is a dialect spoken in Bihar and some parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Making the IPL available for live-streaming in Bhojpuri is going to be a significant step by Viacom18. The move will help attract a large chunk of a new audience who speak Bhojpuri to watch the IPL and enjoy in their own dialect. 

IPL's record-breaking media rights deal

Meanwhile, Viacom 18 has won the rights to Package C as well with a winning bid of Rs. 3,273 crores. The non-exclusive digital rights to select matches are included in Package C. As a result, Viacom 18 has acquired the whole digital rights package for Rs 23,758. Package D of the IPL media rights was sold for Rs 1,058 crore. Viacom 18 won the right to broadcast IPL in Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.  

The growth in the value of IPL media rights has pushed the worth of each match to a little over Rs. 115 crores, making it the world's second most lucrative sporting league after the NFL. In the previous cycle, the TV and digital rights were both purchased by Star for Rs 16,347.50. That price has now increased to over Rs. 48,300 crores, a massive jump in just a five-year period. 

Image: IPL