JioStar, the official digital and broadcast partner of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, on Friday announced record-breaking viewership numbers for the India vs Pakistan clash on JioHotstar.
According to a company release, the high-voltage encounter registered an unprecedented digital reach of 163 million — the highest ever for any ICC T20 match. The figure surpassed even the viewership for the 2024 T20 World Cup final between India and South Africa. The reach also marked a 56 per cent growth compared to the India-Pakistan fixture in the 2024 edition.
On mobile devices, the game recorded the highest match reach in the league stage of any ICC T20 event and delivered 1.2 times more reach than the previous India-Pakistan meeting in 2024. On connected TV (CTV), reach was 2.4 times higher than the corresponding clash in the last edition.
Across platforms, the contest generated a staggering 20 billion minutes of total watch time, reflecting the scale of fan engagement. Consumption rose by 42 per cent compared to the 2024 fixture, aided by India’s dominant display, which extended their head-to-head record over Pakistan in T20 World Cups to 8-1.
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The surge was not limited to digital platforms. On linear television, the marquee match registered a 71 per cent growth in TV ratings (TVR), making it the highest-rated India-Pakistan T20 contest since 2021. The performance underscored the continued strength of traditional broadcast alongside digital growth.
With associate nations also delivering competitive performances, JioStar said cumulative digital reach for the 2026 tournament has already surpassed the total digital reach of the entire previous edition by the end of the group stage.
Anup Govindan, Head of Sales (Sports) at JioStar, said the scale of engagement reflected the magnitude of the contest. “The build-up and the match itself had all the ingredients of a spectacle. The record-breaking reach and consumption highlight how deeply fans are engaging with the tournament across platforms.”
Siddharth Sharma, Head of Content (Sports) at JioStar, described the numbers as evidence of the country’s passion for the event. He added that with diverse content offerings complementing the team’s on-field performance, the platform aims to keep viewers engaged as India chase history by attempting to become the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles.
With India through to the Super 8 stage starting February 21, the tournament now moves into its decisive phase as the defending champions continue their title defence.
