India's great performance in the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 has sent other entertainment channels tumbling down in the latest ratings chart.

In India, popular channels STAR Plus and ZEE TV have witnessed a substantial fall in their viewing figures, compared to ESPN and STAR Cricket, both of which have seen their ratings rocket!

According to the TAM Media Research, the combined channel shares of broadcaster ESPN and STAR Cricket during the India-Pakistan match on 14th September was 47.2 per cent.

ESPN is broadcasting the matches with English commentary, whereas its sister station STAR Cricket is simulcasting the matches in the Hindi dialect. ESPN's channel share stood at 26.7 per cent and STAR Cricket took a 20.5 per cent share of the total channels pie.

Comparing these statistics to the major entertainment players like ZEE TV, which had just 9 per cent and STAR Plus only 5.8 per cent during the same period.

Top-rated programmes like 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007' dipped from 6 in the previous week to 4.2 as the tournament got underway last week. Likewise, Sony Entertainment TV’s ratings dropped to 2.5 from 3.8 in the previous week.

The overall channel shares of ESPN and STAR Cricket have also seen a boost from the start of the tournament. They have managed to notch up an 8.6 per cent share, beating ZEE TV (7 per cent) and STAR Plus (6.5 per cent).

Ratings are expected to soar further with India looking likely to play against old rival Pakistan in the final on Monday.

In the UK, Sky Sports holds the rights for matches with English commentary and Geo UK is broadcasting with Urdu/Hindi commentary.

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