Flashback 2017: PKL Season 5: Bigger and brighter than ever

2017: Pro Kabaddi League became highest viewed non-cricket event in India, scaled new heights.

New Delhi, December 23: In 2017, the Pro Kabaddi League becomes the highest viewed non-cricket event in India. But that's just a minor statement in the growth of the PKL over the last five years.

When the first season of the PKL kicked-off, no one had imagined it would become such a popular league in such a short period.

One of the main reasons for the success of PKL was that people bored with the TV soap operas and even needed a break from an overdose of cricket. PKL in its game span of 40 minutes guaranteed great skills, executions and nail-biting encounters.

So much so that, the National Geographic produced a documentary on PKL - Khel Kabaddi - telling the world how a rustic, village sport became urbane and attracted millions of viewers.

Andrew Hornett, Executive Producer, IMG Media, says in the documentary: "Kabaddi is a wonderful game. It has a beautiful combination of aggression, artistry, skills and tactics. It's easy to love. Watching these guys play this wonderful game, I wish I could be young again. I wish I could play this game."

It's an emotion resonated in several parts of India. People of all age group began to talk about kabaddi seriously and in fact many took up the sport. It's easy to understand the instant connection because the sport is so simple and it does not require any major equipments (like golf) or not dependent on weather, say like cricket.

"Now, I play Kabaddi with my 77-year-old mother and my 7-year-old daughter. I play it on the beach, in the fields back in England. For me, Kabaddi will always have a special place in my heart. Somehow, its connected me to India," says Hornett.

These are not empty boasts. Look at the stats below.

PKL 2017 and viewership records

The final of the fifth PKL season played between Patna Pirates and Gujarat Fortunegiants was the highest viewed non-cricket event in India - viewership stood at 313 million.

The tournament captured huge fan interest and viewership despite spanning three months. Even the television broadcast kept improving as the season progressed.

The organisers credited the surge in the audience to the induction of four new franchises which increased the reach of the League. The PKL has 12 teams now after inducting teams from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Overall, the gross impressions for PKL at the end of Season 5 stood at 3.3 billion with a staggering watch time of over 100 billion minutes.

The final match of Season 5 had an average impression of 26.2 million, which is the second most viewed event after the IPL 10 final between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiant, which stood at 39.4 million.

Future bright

One of the biggest achievements of Pro Kabaddi League is that it has brought in money and fame into the game. Now, the Kabaddi players in India are not living a secluded life for they have a huge fan following.

Players like Pardeep Narwal, Anup Kumar, Rohit Kumar, Rahul Chaudhary, Anup Kumar, Surender Nada, etc. need no introduction nowadays.

The organisers now face the challenge of maintaining the intensity so that audience continue turning up in big numbers. Not one bit impossible.

Some interesting stats about PKL 5:

Winners of PKL 5 - Patna Pirates

Total points scored:

1. Pardeep Narwal - 369 (Patna Pirates)

2. Rohit Kumar - 231 (Bengaluru Bulls)

3. Ajay Thakur - 222 (Tamil Thalaivas)

Total raid points:

1. Pardeep Narwal - 369 (Patna Pirates)

2. Rohit Kumar - 219 (Bengaluru Bulls)

3. Ajay Thakur - 213 (Tamil Thalaivas)