World Cup 2023: 123.8 billion viewing minutes, 364 million viewers - how World Cup 2023 is breaking records

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has made history with unparalleled viewer engagement, showcasing the immense popularity of the grandest cricket competition.

Spanning from 5th October to 19th November, the tournament has captured the interests of innumerable fans in India, who have consumed more World Cup content than ever before thanks to Disney Star, the Global Broadcast Partner.

With 123.8 billion minutes of viewing time recorded for the first 18 games, there was a 43% surge compared to the tournament held in England and Wales in 2019.

Viewership metrics for the World Cup reflect the prodigious popularity of the tournament, recording an astounding 364.2 million viewers who tuned in for the live broadcasts of the starting 18 contests. The spectacle of the one-day matches, the unique fervor for cricket in India, and the nationalistic pride of all participating nations amalgamated to create an unequaled global sports phenomenon.

The highly charged match between India and Pakistan, held on 14 October in Ahmedabad, achieved an extraordinary television record with a peak live audience of 76 million, and an additional 35 million concurrent digital viewers.

Another record was broken during India's encounter against New Zealand in Dharamsala on 22 October, when it observed 43 million concurrent digital viewers on Disney+ Hotstar, particularly towards the last segments of the game. This marked the maximum digital reach for any cricket format ever.

Beyond shards and sixes, the spectators at the venues joined the lively celebration, offering a true embodiment of the thematic cricket festivity. With over 542,000 fans up until the tournament's halfway milestone, the crowd exceeded 2019 figures by 190,000 at the corresponding stage.

ICC Chief Executive, Geoff Allardice said: "We are delighted to see the interest and engagement in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 through the unbelievable audience numbers on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. The World Cup has captured the imagination of the public across India with records tumbling and hundreds of millions of fans enjoying the pinnacle event of the one-day game more than ever before."

Sanjog Gupta, Head - Sports, Disney Star said, "Marquee Cricket continues to demonstrate unparalleled capacity to aggregate audiences across platforms and the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 has set new viewership benchmarks on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. With the Indian team's strong performance, the fluctuating fortunes of top teams, and a competitive points table, we expect a further increase in the momentum of the tournament. Disney Star is committed to serving sports fans and will continue to delight viewers around the world with its coverage of the global event."