IPL 2022: Chennai Super Kings become the BIGGEST sports franchise in India

Source: Twitter

Chennai Super Kings may have started their IPL 2022 campaign with four straight losses, but that does not mean they are a bad team. In fact, they are one on the most successful IPL teams with four titles in their bag. 

What makes them a great brand is also their huge fan base. Wherever CSK travel to play matches, the stands are full and even on social media, they are a hard team to beat. 

And now a new research finding confirms that they are the most followed franchise in the country. 

Holding onto the process! Winning together as a pride! __#CSKvRCB #WhistlePodu #Yellove _ @imjadeja pic.twitter.com/q5ZhbG0cF9 — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 12, 2022

As per a reserach report by Media consulting firm Ormax Media, CSK has the biggest fan base in the country. 

"It is the most popular IPL team in India, with 40.9 Million fans. Its loyal fan base of 22.5 Million people is almost the same as the entire fan base of the sport of Football in India," says the report. 

The report defines a loyal fan as someone feels emotionally connected with team and its results, and engages in online or offline conversations around the team and its players.

The report pegs India’s sports fan base at 136.3 Million, or 13.63 Crore, people. A fan has been defined as someone who watched live sports on TV or OTT in the last month for at least 30 mins. as an active viewer.

Cricket leads with 124.2 Million fans. Kabaddi, Wrestling (including WWE) and Football are in a close contest for the second position, with 23-28 Million fans each. The report profiles these fans by gender, age, NCCS, pop strata and states.