India-Aus World Cup final match creates record peak viewership of 5.9 crore on Disney+Hotstar

The India-Australia cricket World Cup final match on Sunday achieved a historic peak viewership of nearly 5.9 crore, as reported by Disney+Hotstar, despite the host nation experiencing defeat.

This figure surpasses the peak concurrency of 5.3 crore viewers recorded during the India-New Zealand semifinal match. Peak concurrency represents the highest number of viewers during a live stream, and for the final match on Disney+Hotstar, it reached nearly 5.9 crore, according to a statement from the OTT platform.

While Sunday's final match was also broadcast live by Disney Star on the Star Sports network, television audience measurement body Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) will release the viewership numbers only a week later.

Sajith Sivanandan, Disney+ Hotstar India Head, remarked, “With a staggering 5.9 crore concurrent viewers tuning in on Disney+ Hotstar for the final... higher than any peak concurrency record set before the tournament—the unwavering support of Indian cricket fans has consistently propelled us to new heights in live sports streaming.”

Disney Star holds exclusive broadcast and media rights for both linear and digital platforms.

The India-Australia final match was additionally screened by leading multiplex operator PVR INOX at 150 cinemas in over 60 cities, including major metros and Tier-1, 2, and 3 cities. Over 70,000 cricket fans watched the match at the cinemas, resulting in over 70 per cent occupancy, according to PVR INOX Ltd Executive Director Sanjeev Kumar Bijli.

(With PTI Inputs)