New Delhi, Apr.24 (ANI): The Indian Premier League is struggling to match the immense interest of last year’s inaugural season after organisers were forced to shift the 37-day Twenty20 tournament to South Africa.

The inaugural IPL’s TV rating attracted top-spending advertisers last year, but viewers’ attention now seems to be wavering.

The IPL is being played April 18-May 24 across eight cities in South Africa after organisers failed to get a security clearance from the Indian government due to a clash of dates with the general elections.

Replicating the success of the IPL’s first edition in 2008 was always going to be tough, but audience ratings have taken on more importance since the shift away from India has effectively turned the IPL into a made-for-television event, reports SAPA.

“The start hasn’t been as bright as last year’s, but media watchers say IPL’s second season still promises to be a big hit on TV,” reported The Times of India newspaper.

The Times, quoting audience measurement agency INTAM Media Research, said the first day’s IPL telecast from South Africa “notched up a TRP (television rating points) of 5.55 percent.”

Last year, the IPL had averaged around a TRP of 5 percent throughout the series, sustaining itself as the top TV programme in the country of one billion-plus people across 44 days.

The Business Standard newspaper said the dip in viewing figures has not surprised media agencies.

“The novelty factor was missing since this is the second year. This trend is also noticeable for realty shows that air for the second or third time,” the Business Standard quoted Havas Media India’s chief executive Anita Nayyar as saying. (ANI)