On Friday, JioStar, the official digital and broadcasting partner for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, announced that the India vs Pakistan match on JioHotstar broke records. The match reached an impressive 163 million digital views, making it the most-watched ICC T20 game to date, surpassing the 2024 final between India and South Africa.
India’s performance resulted in a remarkable 56% increase in digital viewership compared to the India-Pakistan match from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
The match also set a record for mobile viewership, achieving the highest reach during the league phase of any ICC T20 World Cup, outpacing the 2024 India-Pakistan clash by 1.2 times. Dubbed the Greatest Rivalry in Cricket, the match attracted a large audience on JioHotstar. On CTV, viewership was 2.4 times higher than the 2024 match.
Overall, the match garnered a staggering 20 billion minutes of total watch time across all platforms, showcasing high fan engagement. This marked a 42% increase in consumption compared to the previous edition, with India extending its lead in their head-to-head record over Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to 8-1.
The match also excelled on linear TV, recording a 71% rise in TV ratings, making it the highest-rated India-Pakistan T20 encounter since 2021. This highlights the ongoing significance of linear TV in reaching a broad audience.
As the group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 progresses, the digital reach has already surpassed that of the last edition, thanks to strong performances from associate nations.
“The excitement leading up to the India vs Pakistan match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, as well as the match itself, had all the elements of a major event. The record-breaking viewership demonstrates the vast engagement of fans with this tournament across various platforms,” said Anup Govindan, Head of Sales, Sports, JioStar.
“This tournament has delivered unforgettable moments for fans worldwide, and the huge response to the India-Pakistan match sets the stage for an exciting ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with more thrilling moments to come,” he added.
“The record viewership and engagement for the India vs Pakistan match highlight the nation’s passion for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” said Siddharth Sharma, Head of Content, Sports – JioStar.
“By combining the Indian Cricket Team’s strong performance with extensive reach and diverse content, JioStar is giving viewers plenty of reasons to stay engaged as India aims to become the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups,” he added.
