India truly made its mark in the cricketing world by clinching the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, overcoming New Zealand by an exciting four-wicket win at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The intensity of the final sparked an incredible surge in online viewership, with Jio Hotstar logging a whopping 845 million views by the match’s end.
When it comes to streaming, ‘viewers’ means individual fans tuning in, while ‘views’ indicates how many times the match was accessed—even if some fans watched more than once.
The final was nail-biting from beginning to end. New Zealand batted first and put up a score of 251/7, guided by Daryl Mitchell’s solid 63 from 101 balls and a rapid 53 off 40 balls from Michael Bracewell. India’s spinners, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, were pivotal in limiting the Black Caps. By the tail end of New Zealand’s innings, viewership had already hit 397 million views. However, it was during India’s chase when the real explosion of viewership occurred.
Let’s rewind a bit and highlight another thrilling moment from earlier in the tournament: the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan face-off on February 23, which ranked as the second most-watched cricket match in Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) history outside of World Cup clashes. It drew an impressive 206 million TV viewers, surpassing even their match-up during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup India 2023. The broadcast also logged a staggering 2,609 crore minutes of TV watch-time, fueled in part by Virat Kohli’s record as the fastest to hit 14,000 ODI runs.
A spokesperson from JioStar expressed their elation, saying: “JioStar is elevating India’s experience of major sporting events to new heights. With our commitment to engaging storytelling and broad access, Star Sports has sparked renewed enthusiasm in this timeless rivalry. We’re dedicated to deepening fandom and attracting new audiences.”
The spectacle also delivered a heartening surprise when former captain MS Dhoni was seen enjoying the match alongside Bollywood’s Sunny Deol, becoming an instant hit across social media platforms—even among those missing the live action.
In the buildup to the big game, Star Sports aired engaging content to stir excitement. Shows like “Thank You Pakistan…Jeetega Hindustan” featured sports legends such as Navjot Singh Sidhu, Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, and Inzamam-Ul-Haq, while “Follow the Blues” gave an inside look at Team India’s prep work. On match day, live coverage kicked off bright and early at 8:00 AM with “Dil Se India,” capturing the nation’s buzz and pre-match fervor.
Beyond the live broadcast, Star Sports’ Oaksmith Cricket Live shows before, between, and after the match drew an additional 2.2 crore viewers, significantly boosting the event’s overall reach. This outstanding viewership emphasizes cricket’s growing allure and fans’ insatiable enthusiasm for high-stakes matches.
In a fascinating comparison, the eagerly awaited India-Pakistan showdown amassed 602 million views, while the semifinal against Australia clocked in at 669 million. Yet, it was the final that broke all records, illustrating the vast digital appetite for cricket. Previously, Disney+ Hotstar, the official broadcaster for both the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and ICC T20 World Cup 2024, shared concurrent viewership details. Since Jio and Hotstar unified into one platform, they now only report total views in real time, with specifics on individual viewers pending release.
