Sony’s sports channels in India seem to have hit pay dirt with WrestleMania 38 as over 50 million Indians watched the event, including the return debut of Indian wrestler Veer Mahan.

Figures released by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India highlighted that the show was seen by 56.1 million people in India on the Sony Sports Network, according to a report in Advanced Television.

Total viewership of the premium event, which took place on April 2 and 3 at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, was up by 29 per cent year-on-year in India, compared with WrestleMania 37 in 2021.

Live viewership of WrestleMania Saturday — headlined by a No Holds Barred brawl between Kevin Owens and Stone Cold Steve Austin – was up 34 per cent year-on-year, the report stated.

The long-anticipated WWE RAW re-debut of India superstar Veer Mahan also saw a 9+ percent rise in viewership compared to previous weeks’ average on April 4.

WrestleMania38 was telecast on SONY TEN 1 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi) and SONY TEN 4 (Tamil and Telugu) channels. It was also streamed live on SonyLIV platform.

Sony had prepared well for the WrestleMania 38, WWE’s biggest live event, as the official broadcast partner. The comprehensive line-up of live WWE shows for the weekend includedWWE WrestleMania 38 along with WWE SmackDown, WWE NXT Stand & Deliver, WWE Raw and WWE NXT.

To build momentum, Sony Sports Network launched ‘The Battle for Ultimate Superstardom’ campaign in March. The pulse of the campaign captured the grandeur of WrestleMania, a magnificent two-night event.

Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head–Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India, had earlier said, “WrestleMania has been the biggest LIVE event of WWE for nearly four decades now and has received immense love and support from followers across the globe. The fandom for WWE in India has been growing steadily over the years and it is our endeavor to provide viewers with the thrill and excitement of WWE coupled with unique experiences.

“We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that we provide unparalleled entertainment to engage our viewers for five days. The glorious event not only attracts fans but is also a haven for advertisers. We are happy to have sponsors on-board across the entertainment, communication, and FMCG sectors.”

Well, the preparations have certainly yielded results, if viewership data is any indication.