Ajay Thakur, Monu Goyat, Surjeet Singh, Rishank Devadiga, if these names ring a bell, then you are probably familiar with the pro-kabaddi scene in India. India has lifted the Kabaddi masters trophy, Dubai 2018 crushing Pakistan, Kenya, Korea & Iran in the finals.
The game kabaddi played usually in the villages in India with mentions being seen in Mahabharata and other ancient scriptures. But Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), now known as Vivo Pro Kabaddi League was was conceptualized & founded by Mashal Sports promoted by Anand Mahindra, Charu Sharma and Rajiv Luthra in 2014 and broadcasted on Star Sports. Although there were a lot of doubts regarding the PKL lifting off successfully, it has fared well for itself, if not it has had an astounding run. Millions of people across the Asian sub-continent watch it, especially in India and bordering countries. It is the 3rd famous/popular sports league in India preceded by IPL & HIL. The inaugural tournament showcased 8 franchises owned by various businesses and celebrities, currently consisting of 12 teams in 2017. The game being broadcasted by the rightful owners, Star sports is being watched in cosmopolitan cities as well as in less popular cities like Sonipat, Lucknow, Patna and many more.
The first edition of KPL was viewed by a total of 435million viewers, which made it the second most watched league in India after IPL season 7, despite the staggering fan following of IPL. The growth of PKL thereafter has a steady rise of 51% over the course of first four seasons. But the season 5 was amazing because it fetched 50 million viewers on Day 1, as compared to 31million viewers on Day 1 of season 1, which is a whopping 59% increase. South India as compared to the rest of India has shown a massive increase of viewership, especially in states Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka. The success has resulted in the show being broadcasted in Telugu, Kannada & Marathi. The opening of season 5 recorded a total of 130 million viewers of which 90 million came from the rural areas of India, which leads to show the successful engagement in the rural populace, the home of Kabaddi.