Record-breaking finale: India vs Australia draws 87.6 Billion live views in World Cup 2023

In a culmination of cricketing excellence and digital engagement, the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 witnessed unprecedented success, reaching a staggering 1 trillion total viewing minutes globally. The grand finale between India and Australia emerged as the pinnacle, breaking all previous records with 87.6 billion live viewing minutes. It marked a remarkable 46% increase from the last time India reached the final in 2011.

Host nation India played a pivotal role in these record-breaking figures, contributing an astounding 422 billion viewing minutes on the Disney Star Network alone. This represented a significant 54% surge from 2011 and a notable 9% increase from the 2019 World Cup in the United Kingdom.

A significant growth in female viewership was also registered. Climbing up by 32% in 2011 to 34% in 2023 underscored the widespread enthusiasm surrounding the tournament. The Apex Cricket Council’s decision to leverage new technological innovations, such as the vertical video feed, further enhanced the viewer experience.

Beyond India, the United Kingdom and Australia also witnessed remarkable growth in broadcast numbers. The UK recorded over 5.86 billion minutes of live viewing, while Australia’s contribution reached 3.79 billion minutes, marking a remarkable 92% increase from 2011. Australia’s success in the tournament resulted in 9.1 million people tuning in, a three-million rise from 2019.

Pakistan also sees a huge surge in viewership

Pakistan, India’s sub-continent neighbour, achieved unprecedented viewership, recording a total of 237.12 billion viewing minutes of live content. Disney+ Hotstar’s strategic decision to stream the World Cup for free in India led to a record-breaking peak concurrent viewership, with the final attracting the highest concurrent audience in cricket history.

On the digital front, the event garnered an astonishing 16.9 billion video views, making it the most digitally engaged Apex Cricket Council event ever. The 2023 World Cup outshone the 2022 T20 World Cup with a massive 158% increase in viewership. From preview shows to behind-the-scenes content, the tournament offered a plethora of engaging content for fans.

On social media, viral moments, such as Glenn Maxwell’s resilience against Afghanistan and Virat Kohli breaking ODI records, captured the imagination of millions, with millions of views on platforms like Instagram.