T20 World Cup 2026: India vs Pakistan group stage clash breaks viewership record, surpasses 2024 final
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "T20 World Cup 2026: India vs Pakistan group stage clash breaks viewership record, surpasses 2024 final")
India vs Pakistan group stage clash viewership surpasses 2024 T20 World Cup final Photograph: (AFP)
The India vs Pakistan match recorded an unprecedented digital reach of 163 million, making it the highest match reach for any ICC event in the T20 format, even surpassing the viewership for the T20 World Cup 2024 final between India and South Africa.
India defeated Pakistan in a one-sided contest on Sunday (Feb 15) as the Men in Blue continued their unbeaten streak in the tournament, now stretching their winning run to 12 (after the Netherlands win). Having topped their group, India are now eying a swift run to the semifinal of the T20 World Cup as they prepare to face South Africa in Ahmedabad on Sunday. However, it is the off-field records that are making the rounds with India vs Pakistan clash viewership crossing records and surpassing the 2024 final, which was held between India and South Africa.
India vs Pakistan breaks viewership records
JioStar, the official digital and broadcast partner of the T20 World Cup 2026, announced that the India vs Pakistan match on JioHotstar set historic milestones on reach and consumption. The match recorded an unprecedented digital reach of 163 million, making it the highest match reach for any ICC event in the T20 format, even surpassing the viewership for the T20 World Cup 2024 final between India and South Africa. The scintillating performance by India also ensured a 56 per cent growth in reach over India vs Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 on digital.
On mobile, the game clocked the highest match reach in the league stage of any ICC T20 event and 1.2x more than the last India-Pakistan clash at the T20 World Cup 2024. Recognised as the Greatest Rivalry in cricket, the India-Pakistan contest demonstrated its unmatched appeal as fans converged on JioHotstar. On CTV, the match reach was 2.4x higher than the India-Pakistan contest of the 2024 edition.
The match generated a staggering 20 billion minutes of total watch time across all screens, underscoring the massive depth of fan engagement. This led to a 42 per cent increase in consumption compared to the previous edition’s fixture, driven by the Indian national cricket team’s dominant performance as they extended their head-to-head record over Pakistan at the T20 World Cup to 8-1.
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On linear TV, the highly-anticipated match delivered equally stellar performance, clocking a TVR growth of 71 per cent to become the highest-rated India-Pakistan T20 contest since 2021. The record-breaking engagement on linear TV highlighted the sustained power of traditional broadcast in delivering a massive, collective viewing experience.
With associate nations competing hard and putting up a show in this edition, the cumulative reach of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the end of the group stage is set to better that of the entire last edition on digital already.
“The build-up to the India vs Pakistan game at the 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.”
