The Star India network has clocked 323 million total impressions for the opening match of VIVO IPL 2021, the company said on Friday. The opening match garnered 9.7 billion minutes of consumption.

The response to the opening match between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore is bigger than the opening matches of all other IPL editions held previously, other than Dream11 IPL 2020 and 42 per cent higher than the edition in 2019, Star India said in a statement.

“We are delighted with fans' response to VIVO IPL 2021. Almost 10 billion minutes of consumption (9.7 billion) for the opening match of the tournament shows how eagerly anticipated the season was, despite just a four-month gap between the two seasons. We are confident that viewers’ interest will continue to grow as the tournament progresses,” said a Star Sports spokesperson.

“We are committed to delivering an immersive experience that takes fans confined at home closer to the action. We also urge everyone to stay home as much as possible, take all precautions and be safe during these difficult times.”

VIVO IPL 2021 is being broadcast in seven languages, custom-designed from the ground up for viewers of that region.