As India faced Australia in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 final and eventually lost, Disney’s video streaming service Disney+ Hotstar broke a new record for global live-streaming viewership on November 19. The record of 5.3 crore concurrent viewers set on November 15 during the India and New Zealand semi-final match was surpassed on Sunday, which saw 5.9 crore concurrent viewers. Over the past month, Disney+ Hotstar has broken several records owing to the Men’s ICC World Cup 2023 tournament.
Disney Star also broadcasted Sunday’s match live on the Star Sports network, but the television audience measuring organisation Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) will reveal the viewership data a week later, according to the network. Notably, the Men’s ICC World Cup’s 2023 India vs Pakistan group stage match recorded a viewership of 3.5 crore on the app.
Commenting on the milestone, Sajith Sivanandan – Head of Disney+ Hotstar India, said, “The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will be remembered not just for its sporting excellence but for the incredible passion it ignited among fans. Congratulations to both Australia and India on an incredible tournament, and a heartfelt thank you to our viewers, whose passionate support has driven us to continuously elevate the live sports streaming experience. With a staggering 5.9 Cr concurrent viewers tuning in on Disney+ Hotstar for the final—almost twice as high as 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. It has been a privilege matching their zeal with our innovation.”
Disney Star held exclusive broadcast and media rights for both linear and digital platforms for the now-concluded Men’s ICC World Cup 2023. Disney+ Hotstar India Head Sajith Sivanandan said that 5.9 crore concurrent viewership during the final match surpassed all previous “peak concurrency records set” prior to the tournament. Before this, the Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans’ final match during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) recorded 3.2 crore concurrent viewers.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Disney is considering selling its India streaming and television business. One of the firms that the company held preliminary talks with is tipped to be Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries. Later, a sale or a joint venture partnership discussion was reportedly held between Disney and the private equity firm Blackstone.
Meanwhile, leading multiplex operator PVR INOX also screened the India-Australia final match at 150 theatres across 60 locations, including major metropolises and Tier-1, 2 and 3 cities. Over 70,000 cricket people watched the match as it started Sunday afternoon, corresponding to over 70 percent occupancy in the theatres.