Good Sports: Big Ratings for Kabaddi
India’s new Pro Kabaddi League debuted on July 26 and drew a staggering 22 million viewers. According to a DNA report, that’s 10 times the viewership in India of the 2014 FIFA World Cup’s opening match, Brazil versus Croatia.
“Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine kabaddi would make such an impact on the Indian audience,” said Anup Kumar, skipper of Mumbai’s team, U Mumba. “You feel so proud to have the Pro Kabaddi League name taken in the same breath like the IPL.”
The eight-team league, with names such as the Jaipur Pink Pathers, Patna Pirates and Telugu Titans, was expected to conclude its inaugural season on Aug. 31.
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