The live broadcast for the first 18 matches of ICC’s Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 on Star Sports has clocked up 123.8 billion viewing minutes, a 43% growth compared to the previous edition in England and Wales in 2019, said the Disney Star channel.
The channel also said that it had 364.2 million viewers tuning in to the live broadcast of the first 18 matches.
The clash between India and Pakistan played on October 14 in Ahmedabad witnessed a peak live concurrency of 76 million on television (All BARC data for 2+U+R; including DD) and 35 million concurrent viewers on digital (Hotstar).
India’s clash against New Zealand in Dharamsala on October 22 eclipsed the record for highest digital concurrency set by the India v Pakistan clash when it witnessed 43 million concurrent viewers on Disney+ Hotstar during the final overs of the match. This was the highest peak across any format of cricket ever on digital, as per Disney Star India.
ICC Chief Executive, Geoff Allardice said, “We are delighted to see the interest and engagement in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 through the unbelievable audience numbers on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. The World Cup has captured the imagination of the public across India with records tumbling and hundreds of millions of fans enjoying the pinnacle event of the one-day game more than ever before.”
Sanjog Gupta, Head - Sports, Disney Star, said, “Marquee Cricket continues to demonstrate unparalleled capacity to aggregate audiences across platforms and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has set new viewership benchmarks on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. With the Indian team’s strong performance, the fluctuating fortunes of top teams, and a competitive points table, we expect a further increase in the momentum of the tournament. Disney Star is committed to serving sports fans and will continue to delight viewers around the world with its coverage of the global event."
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah took to X to express his excitement over the new records.
The #CWC2023 has been watched by 36.42 Crore viewers on TV in its first 18 matches - a new record for @cricketworldcup. Fans have also been glued to their TV screens more than ever before with 43% growth in the minutes watched @StarSportsIndia. This is testament to the popularity… pic.twitter.com/XzKYs4OGXS
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) October 28, 2023
ICC also thanked viewers for the smashing viewership numbers.
New broadcast records 📺💻📲
The #CWC23 is smashing viewer numbers.
📝 https://t.co/JE4T3UXh1U pic.twitter.com/IJstgd2l0E— ICC (@ICC) October 28, 2023