Mumbai: JioStar, the official digital and broadcast partner of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, announced that the India vs Pakistan clash on JioHotstar has set new benchmarks for digital reach and engagement.
The high-voltage encounter recorded a digital reach of 163 million, marking the highest match reach for any ICC T20 event and surpassing the viewership of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Final between India and South Africa. The match also registered a 56% growth in reach over the India vs Pakistan fixture during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 on digital platforms.
On mobile devices, the game clocked the highest match reach in the league stage of any ICC T20 event, achieving 1.2 times the reach of the previous India-Pakistan encounter in 2024. The contest, widely regarded as the greatest rivalry in cricket, saw fans converging on JioHotstar in record numbers. On Connected TV (CTV), reach was 2.4 times higher than the corresponding fixture in the 2024 edition.
Across all screens, the match generated 20 billion minutes of total watch time, reflecting deep fan engagement. Consumption grew by 42% compared to the previous edition’s India-Pakistan match, driven in part by India extending its head-to-head record over Pakistan in T20 World Cup history to 8–1.
On linear television, the fixture delivered a 71% TVR growth, becoming the highest-rated India-Pakistan T20 contest since 2021, underlining the continued strength of traditional broadcast alongside digital platforms.
With associate nations also delivering competitive performances, cumulative digital reach for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the end of the group stage is already poised to exceed that of the entire previous edition.
“The build-up to the India vs Pakistan game at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the match itself had all the ingredients of a spectacle. The record-breaking reach and consumption reflect the scale at which fans all over engage with this tournament across platforms,” said Anup Govindan, Head – Sales, Sports, JioStar. “This tournament has already delivered thrilling moments for fans worldwide, and the response to the India-Pakistan clash sets the tone for an exciting ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with the best yet to come.”
“The unprecedented viewership and engagement numbers for India vs Pakistan is further proof of the nation’s obsession with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” said
Siddharth Sharma, Head of Content, Sports – JioStar. “Complementing the Indian Cricket Team’s stellar exploits on the field with unmatched scale and choice of unique content offerings, JioStar is giving viewers more than one reason to stay locked in as India attempts to defeat history and become the first ever back-to-back T20 World Champions.”
With India sealing its berth in the Super 8 stage beginning February 21, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 now enters a decisive phase as the defending champions pursue a historic back-to-back title.
