Disney+Hotstar viewership peaks 3.5 crore during IND vs PAK 2023 World Cup match
In a landmark achievement for the official 2023 World Cup broadcaster, Disney+Hotstar, the viewership peaked at 3.5 crore during the India-Pakistan match in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 14.
With the above numbers, the blockbuster contest set a new record for the highest digital viewership for any cricket match.
The previous record for international matches was held by the same streaming platform with 2.8 crore viewership during the Indo-Pak clash in the 2023 Asia Cup. India vs New Zealand 2019 semifinal clash ranks third with 2.52 concurrent users.
Meanwhile, the Indian Premier League (IPL) final between the Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans attracted 3.2 million viewers on Jio Cinema.
Disney+Hotstar is offering free viewership of the 2023 World Cup on mobile to compete with Viacom18, which offers free live streaming of international and IPL matches on Jio Cinema.
India beat Pakistan by seven wickets to register a hat-trick of wins in the 2023 World Cup
India beat Pakistan by seven wickets to complete a hat-trick of wins in the 2023 World Cup. They previously defeated Australia and Afghanistan by six and eight wickets, respectively.
In the match, the hosts bundled out the Men in Green for 191 in 42.5 overs, losing their last eight wickets for just 36 runs. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja scalped two wickets apiece for the Men in Blue.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam led from the front with the bat, top-scoring with 50 off 58, while vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan chipped in with 49 off 69. Together, the duo shared an 82-run partnership for the third wicket. Openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique contributed 36 (38) and 20 (24), respectively.
In response, India captain Rohit Sharma led the run chase, smashing 86 off 63, including six maximums and as many boundaries. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten on 53 off 62, including two sixes and three boundaries. Shaheen Afridi took two wickets for Pakistan, while Hasan Ali scalped one.
India will next be in action against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on October 19. Pakistan, on the other hand, will face off against Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 20.
Click here to check out the full IND vs PAK 2023 World Cup scorecard.