India–West Indies Super 8 Match Sets Streaming Record for T20 World Cup
DUBAI — The Super 8 clash between India and West Indies at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has set a new record for concurrent streams across ICC digital platforms, surpassing the previous peak established during the 2024 T20 World Cup final.
Tournament organizers said the 2026 edition has become the most digitally engaged and globally accessible in the event’s history, with ICC.tv and the governing body’s social media channels reporting unprecedented growth in viewership and engagement.
According to data released by the ICC, ICC.tv has already exceeded the total number of users and overall watch time recorded for the entire 2024 tournament. At the same stage in the previous edition, unique users have increased by 28 percent, while total viewing time has grown by 56 percent.
On social media, ICC content has crossed 10 billion video views and is projected to surpass the 16 billion views recorded during the 2024 event.
Officials said the numbers reflect not only broader reach but deeper engagement. The average watch time per unique user has risen to 58 minutes, compared with 47 minutes at the end of the Super 8 stage in 2024.
Multi-language streaming options have played a significant role in expanding the tournament’s global footprint. Nearly half of total playtime has come from non-English feeds, and three of the top five most-watched streams during the tournament were in languages other than English. ICC.tv has offered coverage in Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, Japanese and Bahasa Indonesia.
The ICC said its continued focus on language accessibility has strengthened connections with diverse cricket communities worldwide.
The strongest growth has come from non-traditional cricket markets. Unique user numbers increased by 69 percent overall in these regions compared with 2024. Germany recorded a 150 percent rise in unique users, while Italy saw a 136 percent increase. Japan and South Korea each posted growth of more than 100 percent in both views and unique users.
Tournament officials said the figures highlight steady gains in global consumption, engagement and geographic reach, driven by expanded language feeds and growing interest in emerging European and Asian markets.
With record concurrent audiences and longer viewing times, the 2026 tournament is on track to become the most widely accessed and digitally engaged ICC event to date. (Source: IANS)
