Digital concurrent viewership records were shattered during the India vs. South Africa cricket match when Virat Kohli achieved his 49th ODI century, tying with Sachin Tendulkar’s record. Disney+ Hotstar, the official streaming platform for the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, reached a peak of 44 million concurrent viewers during this game. The World Cup has consistently seen new peak concurrent viewership records, and Disney+ Hotstar is offering free mobile access to these matches, including the India vs. South Africa and India vs. New Zealand clashes, which drew 43 million and 44 million peak concurrent viewers, respectively. This is a significant shift, as Disney+ Hotstar had previously put cricket content behind a paywall for several years. The strategy to provide free access to cricket matches seems to be paying off for Disney+ Hotstar, as they continue to break their own records. Prior to the ICC Cricket World Cup, JioCinema set a record with 32 million viewers during the Indian Premier League final between the Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney+ Hotstar India, expressed gratitude for the unwavering support of users and their passion for cricket streaming. The platform is excited to see where this support takes them as the tournament progresses. Media experts believe that the growing popularity of streaming for sports events is due to the convenience of watching matches on mobile devices. As smartphone usage increases, digital viewership for cricket is expected to rise further. Disney+ Hotstar is also encouraging viewers to purchase subscriptions to enjoy ad-free entertainment content, although even premium subscribers will see ads during live sports broadcasts. To enhance the viewing experience, Disney+ Hotstar has collaborated with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to introduce MaxView, allowing cricket enthusiasts to watch matches in a vertical mode (9×14 portrait view). According to BARC data for the All India 2+ audience, the India vs. New Zealand match had 80 million peak concurrent viewers on Disney Star channels and Doordarshan, surpassing the 75.5 million viewers for the India vs. Pakistan match. Disney Star claims that the total viewership for the live broadcast of the World Cup has exceeded 400 million viewers for the first 26 matches. The TV viewership specifically for Disney Star channels in the All India 2+ audience is reported at 310 million.
