Shows or IPL - what are you going to watch...

Hope all cricket crazy fans have memorized the dance moves and are ready to groove. And why not, after all India's very own Premiere League is back with season 6 with a chiming caveat "Sirf Dekhne Ka Nahi". The promotions are already on air and biggies of cricket and entertainment have been vouched in for bull's-eye.

Let's find out, what's in store for GECs during this IPL. Lalit Modi's vision to change the way people looked at this sport in the sub-continent came through in year 2008. Entire nation was gripped into the fever of this commercial cricket-cum-entertainment club and created a huge dent in the viewership of GEC shows. To the extent that shows flunking onTRP test were axed.

Wisely the GECs played safe in 2009 and did not launch new shows during IPL 2. 25 new shows were launched post the cricketing break to woo back the lost audience. The pattern though continued in 2010 and 2011 with some 10-15 shows going on air post IPL, but theIPL bubble was bursting and losing its sheen.

The GEC genre had shrunk by 4.35 per cent during IPL 4 (in the All India market), as compared to a 9.07 per cent drop it had witnessed in the first season of IPL. This is what restored the confidence in the GECs and they launched 5 new shows during IPL 5 to maintain their viewership. IPL 5 turned out to be a flop show registering the lowest TRP in last 5 years.

IPL 6, therefore, is not just another game challenge this year. Its entire existence has been put to test. Another significant dip in TRP may even result in a death blow for the league as most of the revenue is generated through Television.

Interestingly no new fiction shows are getting launched during IPL 6 which, some may say reflects that IPL brand is no longer a threat to GECs. The television fraternity seems to echo the expression. They are not ignoring the threat posed by IPL but this time, are keen to tweak the content of their existing dailies, as and when required, to maintain their viewership just like other days of the year.

So as we see it today, GECs are all set to take this challenge head-on without any major transformations. They expect a dip in TRP but not significant enough to push them over the edge. IPL down trending TRP is good enough reason for us also to believe that this time the cricket divinity may create a hiccup but shall not be able to supersede the daily shows/ soaps addiction.

Will the predictions go wrong and IPL 6 will be able to grab substantial eyeballs for its sustenance by creating a dent in GEC viewership? Will the star presence breathe life into a fading tournament? Well we will have to rely on TRP data for the answer.

What will you prefer to watch this summer – IPL 6 or your daily entertainers? Share your Views, Reviews, Comments and Suggestions on Twitter-iDubba and set reminders about your favorite shows on our iDubba app.