India's T20 World Cup Final Draws 5.3 Crore Viewers but Misses Historic Peak

The T20 World Cup final match ending India's 13-year ICC trophy drought saw 5.3 crore viewers on Disney+Hotstar, falling short of last year's record in the ODI final. Despite not breaking records, it captured 4 to 4.5 crore constant viewers, showcasing significant audience engagement, especially during the nail-biting finish.

The T20 World Cup final, a match that ended India's 13-year quest for an ICC trophy, attracted a peak concurrent viewership of 5.3 crore on the OTT platform Disney+Hotstar. However, it didn't surpass the record set during last year's ODI final in November.

The India-South Africa final on Saturday achieved a peak concurrent viewership of nearly 5.3 crore on Disney+Hotstar. In comparison, the India-Australia 50-overs final on November 20, 2023, drew a peak concurrency of 5.9 crore, despite India losing the match.

That 5.9 crore viewership record still stands as the highest for any live-streamed cricket match, according to industry experts. For the knockout match between India and Australia in the T20 World Cup on June 24, peak concurrency was 3.9 crore.

Disney Star held exclusive broadcast and media rights for both linear and digital platforms. While Saturday's final was also shown live on the Star Sports network, viewership statistics will be released a week later by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).

Karan Taurani, SVP of Elara Capital, noted that although Saturday's final may not have reached record numbers, it consistently held 4 to 4.5 crore viewers, thanks to its thrilling conclusion. Interestingly, the post-match ceremony retained 2.5 to 3 crore viewers.