ISL 2019-20 off to a flying start as viewership doubles for season opener

As per the data provided by the Broadcast Audience Research Council, the opening match of the ongoing ISL season saw around 34 million viewership. It was double then what the league had witnessed in the previous edition.

Nigerian striker Bartholomew Ogbeche scores the winning goal for Kerala Blasters in the ISL opener against ATK on Sunday. Kerala won 2-1. (Source: ISL)

The sixth season of Indian Super League has entered its second week and so far ATK with three points from two games stand at the top. The season kicked-off with Kerala Blasters taking on ATK at home, which also saw a new record being created.

As per the data provided by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the opening match of the ongoing ISL season saw around 34 million viewership. It was double then what the league had witnessed in the previous edition.

Both Kerala and ATK have a long-standing history and have met previously in two finals in 2014 and then in 2016. In both the instance, ATK emerged as victorious.

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On Sunday, Kerala came out as 2-1 winners after a thrilling encounter. The action started with ATK taking the lead in the starting moments of the match through Carl McHugh’s sensational volley. However, Nigerian striker Bartholomew Ogbeche scored twice to hand the hosts a thrilling win at the end.

The popularity of ISL, the premier football league of India, has witnessed a significant rise with each passing year.

This season, with the inclusion of the two new teams -Hyderabad FC and Odisha FC, the ISL will fetch more diverse fan cultures and an increase in the footprint of Indian football in new frontiers.