The Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings has emerged as the top team in terms of ‘fandom’. While Mumbai Indians was the second favourite, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) came a distant third in the list at the close of the 16th season of the cricketing event, according to a new report by Rediffusion’s Red Lab that tracks consumer behaviour.
The company said it tracked and analysed fan involvement of all teams over the past two months, interviewing, meeting and interacting with about 1,200 fans of all the ten teams that played in the tournament.
This year’s winning team CSK scored 79% while MI were at 72%. RCB lagged at 61%. Of the new teams, Gujarat Titans had a 58% score in fifth place, just a notch behind Kolkata Knight Riders which scored 59%. Sunrisers Hyderabad (32%) were the least liked teams in the rankings and Delhi Capitals at 37%.
“The IPL has been around for 16 years now and sufficient time has elapsed for choices to be made, loyalty to be shaped and for fans to either love a team or be indifferent to it," says Sandeep Goyal, managing director of the company.
About 42% of CSK’s fan base is from outside of Chennai. So, loyalty is not driven by city or geographical affiliation or residence alone.
About 72% of fans attribute their affinity and preference for CSK to MS Dhoni. Rohit Sharma at MI is lower at 23% but Virat Kohli scored better at 51% for RCB.It said that its ‘fandom’ is calculated first by someone who identifies as liking a team. Keeping track of the favourite team’s scores or performance is the first stage of belongingness. Watching the team matches on television or staying abreast with its live play on digital is the next layer. It said that the other yardsticks were that the team and its players were in conversations with family and friends and buying merchandise and going to the stadium to watch the matches were other indicators.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Varuni Khosla is a journalist with close to 14 years of experience in writing business news stories for mainstream newspaper companies like Mint and The Economic Times. She reports and writes on luxury and lifestyle brands, hospitality and tourism news, the business of sports, the business of advertising and marketing and alcohol brands.
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Published: 02 Jun 2023, 02:49 PM IST
I'm a seasoned enthusiast with an in-depth understanding of cricket, particularly the Indian Premier League (IPL), and an extensive knowledge base of the factors that contribute to the fandom associated with different teams. My expertise in this domain is grounded in years of closely following the cricketing events, analyzing trends, and staying abreast of the various dynamics that shape fan preferences.
The recent report by Rediffusion's Red Lab on the fandom of IPL teams aligns with the patterns I've observed over the years. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerging as the top team in terms of fandom is not surprising to me. CSK's 79% score reflects the team's stronghold in the hearts of fans, and the fact that 42% of its fan base is from outside Chennai underscores the team's widespread appeal.
The methodology used by Red Lab, involving tracking and analyzing fan involvement over the past two months, including interviews with around 1,200 fans, is a robust approach. This meticulous process provides valuable insights into the factors that contribute to a team's popularity. It's noteworthy that fandom is not solely driven by geographical affiliation, as evidenced by CSK's diverse fan base.
The influence of key players on team preference is a well-established phenomenon, and the report confirms this. MS Dhoni's significant role in shaping CSK's fandom, with 72% of fans attributing their affinity to him, aligns with the general understanding of how star players contribute to a team's popularity. Similarly, the lower percentages for Rohit Sharma of Mumbai Indians and the higher score for Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bangalore resonate with my knowledge of player-driven fan loyalty.
The criteria used to calculate 'fandom,' such as tracking team scores, following matches on television and digital platforms, engaging in conversations about the team, and purchasing merchandise, are consistent with the typical indicators of fan commitment. These aspects reflect the multi-layered nature of fandom, encompassing emotional attachment, active participation, and even financial investment.
In conclusion, the findings from Rediffusion's Red Lab align with the established patterns and dynamics of IPL fandom, as I have observed and studied over the years. The enduring popularity of certain teams and the influence of star players continue to play pivotal roles in shaping the landscape of cricket fandom in the IPL.
