Disney+ Hotstar clocks record 4.3 crore concurrent viewers during Ind vs NZ

New Delhi: Virat Kohli’s 95 against New Zealand during the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup at Dharamshala on Sunday helped Disney+ Hotstar clock a record 4.3 crore concurrent viewers during the last few overs of the game.

This is the highest peak concurrency number achieved across all formats of cricket, breaking the record of 3.5 crore concurrent viewers set during the recent league match between India and Pakistan at the tournament. The semifinal clash between India and New Zealand at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 attracted 2.5 crore concurrent viewers at its peak.

“We want to thank our users who flocked to Disney+ Hotstar for the thrilling game between India vs New Zealand and helped us reset the world record for concurrent viewers for a live-streaming event. We served 4.3 crore (43 million) concurrent viewers at its peak during the match, a historical high and easily surpassing [the previous record of] 3.5 crore during the India vs Pakistan match at the same tournament. As the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 enters its business end and [increasingly] grabs the attention of Indians, we will continue to strive to bring these memorable moments to our users’ screens,” said Sajith Sivanandan, head of Disney+ Hotstar India.

The peak concurrent viewership during the India-NZ match on Sunday also surpassed the 3.2 crore figure that JioCinema achieved during the FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Kylian Mbappe’s France.

Disney+ Hotstar achieved the record as Kohli was inching towards his 49th international ODI hundred, which would have brought him level with Sachin Tendulkar. But Kolhi fell short of his 100 after chipping the ball to mid-wicket with India needing just 5 runs off 15. India went on to win the match by four wickets and top the table with 10 points.

Disney+ Hotstar is offering free streaming of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 on mobile phones, but watching on a smart TV requires a subscription.