IND vs PAK: The Thrilling T20 Match Between India And Pakistan At The MCG Creates New Viewership Record

The India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match on the digital streaming platform Disney + Hotstar was a Sunday blockbuster, with over 1.8 lakh viewers tuning in. 

The match was shown on Star Sports in India, however, the television audience measuring authority Broadcast Audience Research Council would not provide viewership figures until a week later (BARC). It was also shown in PVR and Inox theatres, which reported significant crowds watching the game. 

According to a source, the highest-ever viewership on the Disney+ Hotstar app, which aired the match live, was 1.8 crore, breaking the previous record of 1.4 crore set between the two sides in the Asia Cup. 

1.8 Crore People Watch India-Pakistan Contest Live On Disney+Hotstar App

When India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered the opening ball of the match, there were 36 lakh live viewers. When Pakistan’s innings completed, the app had 1.1 crore watchers live, which grew to 1.4 crore views during the innings break. 

When India’s chase began, a total of 40 lakh people tuned in, climbing to a record 1.8 crore when the match ended in India’s favour, as former captain Virat Kohli guided India to a 4-wicket victory. 

Similarly, the multiplex companies Inox Leisure and PVR, which are displaying the matches live on the screens of their cinema halls, have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from their customers. 

INOX Leisure CEO Alok Tandon said, “The response that we got for this match across all the 90-plus cinemas across the country has been phenomenal, identical to a blockbuster movie. 

“The electric environment in the auditoriums was much like what someone witnessed in the stadiums,” PVR Joint Managing Director Sanjeev Kumar Bijl stated that the game has received a positive reception in PVR theatres. 

“We have played this game at 122 screens in 51 cities across the country and the response has been strong all over. The charm and excitement of watching live sports on a big screen as a collective experience continues to gain strength in India,” he said. 

Tournaments Of National Interest Are Watched With A Lot Of Passion

According to Karan Taurani, SVP of Elara Capital, it is a great trend, and many sports spectators are increasingly turning to digital streaming. 

Sports have now developed as a significant component of the video consumption industry, and every platform needs some sort of sports in order to attract a large number of viewers. 

“Tournaments of national interest and India-Pakistan matches are watched with a lot of passion. If you look at the growth in terms of viewership share on digital, it’s phenomenally high,” he said. 

However, he cautioned that such figures may not be repeatable because the match was nail-biting and went down to the final ball, but it’s a “good trend” because a lot of spectators are coming through digital media. 

He also stated that traditional media viewership, such as television, is consistent and not declining since consumers choose to watch live content on TV and the internet at their leisure. 

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