Mumbai: In a remarkable display of sports entertainment, inaugural season of the Pro Panja League, which took place at the IGI Stadium in New Delhi, from 28 July till 13 August, witnessed a staggering 32 million unique TV viewers, the league organisers said citing viewership data from BARC (All India U+R, CS 2+).  

With the viewership statistics now unveiled, the average impressions per match for the Pro Panja League were comparatively higher than the inaugural seasons of most recent launched leagues in India.

Pro Panja League’s unparalleled success was achieved across just two channels – Sony Ten 3 and DD Sports, further highlighting the popularity of the league.  

Following are the top markets in terms of viewership as reported by BARC – Maharashtra/Goa, Punjab/Haryana/Chandigarh/Himachal Pradesh/J&K and Assam/North East/ Sikkim. The bout between Kochi KD’s vs Rohtak Rowdies on 5 August, and the bout between Kiraak Hyderabad vs Mumbai Muscle on 11 August, were the top two matches watched on TV with viewership of 3.6 million each.  

The success of the inaugural season of the Pro Panja League is not only a testament to the league’s fierce competitions but also to the enthusiasm and support of the arm-wrestling fans in the country. The league’s ability to get the audience’s attention and not just maintain but grow their interest throughout the season is a reflection of its narrative and world-class athletes.

Pro Panja League co-founder Parvin Dabas said the number reflects that the sport of arm-wrestling connected with the Indian audience. He said, “The experience in the first season of the league has been overwhelming. The feedback we have gotten from everyone has been tremendous and it’s great to see so much of love being shown to the league, the players who are competing in it and the sport. All the detailing that we have been planning and working over the last few years has finally paid off. It is great to see that the fans enjoyed it and more importantly loved watching it on the TV.”