The cash-rich Indian Premier League's TV rating for its sixth edition is expected to rise 2.6% to 3.9, says a survey.
According to a joint survey by media and communication group WPP's analytics company Meritus and media buying and planning agency MEC India, the average TV rating for the season is expected to go up from 3.8 last year to 3.9 this year, an increase of 2.6%.
"The brand IPL is reflecting the behaviour of a typical mature consumer product. That is integral to the forecast. It shows that there is a segment of audience who will watch more than last year and another segment who will watch lesser.
"Given that the former segment is larger than the latter, the ratings are likely to be marginally higher than in 2012,"Meritus Analytics managing partner Sunder Muthuraman said in the report.
The report estimated the ratings of Mukesh Ambani-owned Mumbai Indians matches to be the highest at 4.5. The Mumbai Indians squad boasts of master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar and the team would be led by Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting.
It forecasts the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders' rating to be at 4.2, while the rating of Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings, who won the trophy in 2010 and 2011, is expected to be at 4.1.
The report found that Mumbai Indians (23%), Chennai (19%) and Kolkata Knight Riders (14%) are the most popular teams.
It also noted that Sachin Tendulkar, Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Virender Sehwag are the most popular Indian players in the league, while Chris Gayle, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee and Kevin Pietersen are most popular foreign players.
The survey was conducted in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Pune, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad.
