Indian-Team. (Photo Source: Twitter/BCCI)
Mumbai, November 2, 2023: Cricket fans across India were on the edge of their seats as a staggering 80 million* concurrent viewers tuned in on TV to watch Virat Kohli’s match-winning knock of 95 against New Zealand. This is the highest peak concurrency garnered for the 2023 ODI World Cup, followed by the India vs Pakistan match registering 75.5 million* concurrent viewers. In addition to the peak concurrency, the tournament has garnered a total of 182 billion minutes* of watch-time (viewership), indicating a remarkable 22% growth compared to the 2019 edition.
The total viewership for live broadcast of the World Cup also crossed 400 million* viewers in the first 26 matches. The overwhelming response from fans across India highlights the immense popularity of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the unparalleled excitement surrounding Virat Kohli’s exceptional achievements on the field. The excitement is only going to get bigger with fans eagerly awaiting King Kohli’s pursuit of his 49th and 50th ODI century to break Sachin’s record.
Notably, Star Sports, the official broadcaster, has been producing 11 feeds for the event, which includes feeds in nine different languages (English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada & Malayalam) and two additional vertical feeds (Max View) for Disney+Hotstar.
The overall broadcast of the tournament has been enriched by offering a range of non-live programming shows. ‘Follow the Blues,’ ‘Game Plan,’ ‘Match Point’ and ‘Cheeky Singles’ served in-depth analyses and captivating build-up to the tournament, allowing fans to dive deeper into the world of cricket.
The broadcaster also launched a fan-centric campaign, stoking the dreams of millions with the aspiration of India winning the coveted World Cup trophy again. A star-studded list of top celebrities such as Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ravi Teja, Shiva Rajkumar, Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon, Kangana Renaut, and many more, shared their love and admiration for the sport and their favorite Indian Cricketers on Cricket Live, India’s most-watched Cricket Show.
*All BARC Data for 2+U+R (including DD)
** Peak concurrency is the highest number of viewers during a live match