IPL's here, where's the excitement?

Even though Chennai Super Kings MS Dhoni believes that the TRPs of the Indian Premier League Season 5 will rise, the law of averages seems to be catching up with the cash rich T20 league with the advertisers shying away this time around. So is there enough buzz around the IPL 5?

After all the build up to this year's IPL, it still hasn't attracted the sponsors yet. Reports suggest 40% of the ad slots with the host broadcaster are still unsold.

As compared to eight to ten sponsors in the last few seasons, the IPL has only six sponsors this year. The 10-second ad slots have dropped from Rs 8 lakh to 5 lakh this year. And they blame it on the dip in TV ratings last season, which fell from 4.25 in IPL 3 to 3.9 in IPL 4.

The IPL is believed to have had a gross turnover of Rs 900 crore from the fourth season but it might have to be content with at least 30-40 per cent less in the fifth season.

"The first 10 games will set the tone. If the consumer feels that he is getting the worth of his money, he will hit the stadium. If he doesn't get it, he won't. It's entertainment, there is no emotion, there is no loyalty," Shailendra Singh, Joint MD, Percept Ltd said.

Bollywood, which usually keeps away from releasing films during the IPL, has plans of releasing close to 22 films during the next 2 months. Although Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood superstar and co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, says never release a film when the IPL is on, the industry is giving clear indications that it doesn't feel threatened by the billion- dollar league anymore.  

While one of the cricket fans feels that "too much cricket is happening", another one says: "It's the 5th time so everyone is bored of it." A Delhi fan says: "There are too many teams and I think the buzz is gone."

Even though the season opener between Chennai and Mumbai was a sold out, the southern city wore a barren look as compared to a sea of yellow last time.

IPL fever is yet to grip the fever of the Super Kings but after a glitzy opening ceremony, the organisers are hoping the fans will turn up in stadiums over the next two months.

So while the IPL might have got some big performers off the field the key to its success will lie with how the players perform on the pitch.