Disney Star delivers the biggest ODI World Cup ever

Mumbai, November 23, 2023: In a historic triumph for sports broadcasting, Disney Star, the official broadcaster of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, has set new benchmarks for viewership, redefining the cricketing landscape. The highly anticipated final clash between cricket powerhouses India and Australia has not only etched itself into the chronicles of sporting history but has also become the most-watched event ever on both linear TV and digital streaming.

With an astounding reach of 30 Crore for the live broadcast on TV, Star Sports Network ensured that cricket enthusiasts across India were glued to their television screens, making it the most watched Television event ever. The magnitude of the final was further highlighted by a peak concurrency of 13 Crore viewers on TV and 5.9 crore peak concurrency on Disney+ Hotstar (Digital).

As per BARC, the tournament crossed a viewership of half a billion viewers for the first time as 518 million (51.8 Crore) TV viewers tuned in for the live broadcast of the marquee tournament being played in India after 12 years. The live TV broadcast for the tournament garnered 422 billion minutes of TV watch time making it the most watched ICC Men’s World Cup in the history of the event.

The final between India vs Australia delivered a peak concurrency of 13 crore which surpassed the previous highest peak concurrency in the tournament with India vs Pakistan at 7.5 crore and India vs New Zealand at 8 crore. Disney Star left no stone unturned in bringing the grandeur of the World Cup to fans in India and across the globe, showcasing its unwavering dedication to delivering unparalleled sporting content.

The streaming arm of Disney Star broke its own record five times through the tournament to witness a peak concurrency of 5.9 crores for the final, solidifying its position as the go-to destination for cricket enthusiasts seeking a seamless and immersive viewing experience. The platform surpassed global streaming records across all formats of cricket at the beginning of the tournament with the peak concurrency of 3.5 crore viewers during the India vs Pakistan match.

This was followed by a streak of record-breaking numbers - 4.3 crore peak concurrent viewers during the India vs New Zealand match, 4.4 crore peak concurrent viewers during the India vs South Africa match and most recently, 5.3 crore peak concurrent viewers during the thrilling semifinals between India and New Zealand match. 

Speaking about the recent success of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, K Madhavan, Country Manager & President, Disney Star, “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), for their invaluable support, making this tournament an overwhelming success. We would also like to thank the fans, who showered their support throughout the tournament and with their unwavering passion making this historic achievement possible. Disney Star is dedicated to paving the road for sports broadcast in India and it has been extremely encouraging to see growth across both, the linear and digital mediums, thereby increasing the fan base of cricket. This is testament to the uniqueness of the India market where linear and digital continue to grow alongside each other. This successful tournament has set the stage for a promising future in our association with the ICC."

Disney Star, in its pioneering approach to sports broadcasting, redefined and reimagined how fans consume cricket. In a groundbreaking collaboration with the International Cricket Council (ICC), Disney+ Hotstar introduced MaxView—a technological innovation that allowed cricket enthusiasts to experience the game in vertical mode (9X14 portrait view) for the first time in the history of streaming cricket.

Disney Star also provided an extensive 11 feeds for ICC Men’s CWC 2023, including coverage in 9 different languages (English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, & Malayalam), ensuring that cricket enthusiasts across diverse linguistic landscapes could savor the thrilling moments of this historic World Cup.

As the curtain falls on this historic event, Disney Star takes pride in having orchestrated a cricketing spectacle that captivated the hearts and minds of millions, reaffirming its commitment to pushing the boundaries of sports entertainment.

All BARC Data for 2+U+R (including DD)