Mumbai: As IPL 2025 powers into its third week, a new report released by CrispInsight and Kadence International uncovers a compelling insight into Indian fan behaviour—while nearly 98% of IPL viewers have a favourite player, only 37% show loyalty to a particular team, pointing to a strong emotional connect with individual cricketing icons over franchise affiliations.
The eDART-IPL25 study, refreshed weekly throughout the season, highlights that Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni remain the most admired players among fans, with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant also climbing into the top 10 rankings for Week 2. On the team loyalty front, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) continue to dominate within their respective home territories—91% of fans from RCB’s catchment area named it as their first or second favourite team, followed closely by MI and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
“Fan sentiment doesn’t shift as easily as match scores,” said Ritesh Ghosal, Partner at CrispInsight. “The consistency of legacy players and franchises keeps them at the top of mind—and that’s gold for brands looking to build lasting connections with IPL audiences.”
The study also examined brand visibility across categories. Payment service brands and consumer electronics maintained high recall, particularly among fans with pre-existing interest in those sectors. However, despite the influx of advertisers this season, only 25% of the 200 brands tracked managed to achieve more than 4% recall, revealing the challenge of breaking through in a saturated ad environment.
“Brands that integrate themselves meaningfully within the IPL experience—through team sponsorships, stadium branding, or player endorsements—stand out far more than those relying solely on ad volume,” added Aman Makkar of Kadence International. “Player-driven brand storytelling is clearly outperforming traditional formats in terms of both recall and emotional engagement.”
Another key finding of the report is the growing influence of the IPL superfan segment—although only 15% of the overall audience, these superfans drive a disproportionate share of viewership and brand engagement. They are significantly more likely to recall associated teams, players, and sponsors, making them a high-value target for brands seeking deeper audience impact.
The eDART-IPL25 report continues to offer real-time insights for marketers, franchises, and media planners—providing a critical edge in an increasingly competitive cricketing and advertising ecosystem. As the tournament progresses, these insights will serve as a roadmap for brands looking to optimize their IPL investments through sharper storytelling and emotionally resonant engagement.
