T20 World Cup 2026: India vs England semifinal 2 breaks record with unprecedented 65.2 million viewers
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "T20 World Cup 2026: India vs England semifinal 2 breaks record with unprecedented 65.2 million viewers")
T20 World Cup 2026: India vs England semifinal 2 breaks record with unprecedented 65.2 million viewers Photograph: (AFP)
It was India’s emphatic win against England that made the headlines as India edged them in a high-scoring thriller at the Wankhede Stadium. But there was another record that made headlines as the India vs England T20 World Cup semifinal broke the record for highest viewership.
India will be all set to defend their T20 World Cup title as they take on New Zealand in the summit clash on Sunday (Mar 8) at the Narendra Modi Stadium. However, it was India’s emphatic win against England that made the headlines as India edged them in a high-scoring thriller at the Wankhede Stadium. But there was another record that made headlines as the India vs England T20 World Cup semifinal broke the record for highest viewership.
India vs England semifinal breaks viewership record
India's leading streaming platform JioHotstar recorded an unprecedented 65.2 million peak concurrent viewers during the high-stakes encounter, setting a new world record for the highest concurrency ever achieved for a live event across any digital platform in the world. The match also generated 619 million views on JioHotstar, making it the most-streamed T20 International match in history.
The thrilling contest, which produced a remarkable 499 runs across both innings, captured the imagination of fans across India and beyond. The peak concurrency surpassed the previous global record of 65 million set by an international streaming platform in November 2024, a figure achieved through aggregated viewership across multiple markets.
JioHotstar’s record, however, was driven entirely by audiences within a single market, underlining its position as a global leader in live streaming and its ability to handle peak demand while delivering a seamless viewing experience. This record also reiterates the aggregate capacity that a marquee ICC event delivers, buoyed by the combination of the Indian team’s popularity, the context of a “must-win” semi-final and scaled fan engagement initiatives.
Across linear television and digital platforms, the semi-final delivered a combined reach exceeding 320 million viewers, while watch-time across screens crossed an extraordinary 23 billion minutes, making it the most-watched T20 International match ever.
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
ICC Chairman Jay Shah said: “It is incredibly heartening to see the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup bringing together hundreds of millions of Cricket fans in India. The remarkable numbers recorded during the India vs England semi-final demonstrate not only the passion of cricket fans but also the tremendous progress being made in making the game more accessible and engaging for audiences everywhere. This World Cup will be remembered as much for its on- field play as it will be for the way millions of fans came together to celebrate the sport.”
JioStar Vice-Chairman Uday Shankar said: “This is testimony to JioStar's technological and creative excellence and ICC’s commitment to making the game of cricket even bigger. One in every three Indians tuned in to watch the second semi-final game on Thursday and when hundreds of millions of people tune in to watch the game, it takes the best of technology to deliver. This is what the future of entertainment is going to look like.”
At the back of scintillating exhibition from both sides, the 619 million views registered during the game eclipsed the 533 million views record set during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final.
