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The India-Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash on February 23 captivated cricket fans worldwide, setting a new streaming benchmark. JioHotstar, the official streaming platform for the tournament, recorded an astonishing 60 crore views, making it one of the most-watched matches in cricket history.
Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer led India to a comfortable six-wicket victory, chasing down Pakistan’s 241-run target in 42 overs. Kohli’s match-winning four not only secured India’s top spot in Group A but also marked his 51st ODI century, adding another milestone to his illustrious career.
A Match That Kept Viewers Hooked
The excitement was evident from the very first ball bowled by Mohammed Shami, as millions tuned in to watch the much-anticipated encounter between the two arch-rivals. With India and Pakistan not playing a bilateral series for over a decade, the high-stakes match saw OTT viewership soar throughout the game.
- First two hours: Views crossed 20.6 crore
- Midway through Pakistan’s innings: Surged to 28 crore
- End of Pakistan’s innings: Peaked at 32 crore
- India’s batting start: Jumped to 38.9 crore
- As the match progressed: Hit 50 crore in the final overs
- When Kohli neared his century: Touched a staggering 60 crore
Notably, these figures represent total views, meaning if a viewer opened the app multiple times, each instance counted as a new view.
OTT and On-Ground Frenzy
The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy marks the first major tournament broadcast under JioHotstar, the newly launched OTT platform formed after the merger of Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema. The previous India-Pakistan encounter in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup saw Disney+ Hotstar record a peak concurrency of 3.5 crore viewers, significantly lower than the latest numbers.
On the ground, demand for match tickets was overwhelming. The ICC released additional tickets on February 16 due to the high demand. Ticket prices ranged from Rs 11,800 (standard) to Rs 3 lakh (premium), but resale prices soared, with some tickets being sold for as much as Rs 56 lakh.
Sky-High Advertising Rates
With such massive viewership, advertisers scrambled for prime ad slots. According to a Business Standard report, a 10-second ad slot during the match was priced at a whopping Rs 50 lakh—three times the rate of an Indian Premier League (IPL) ad slot.
Even compared to the 2023 ICC World Cup, where ad slots during the India-Pakistan game were priced between Rs 30-40 lakh, the 2025 Champions Trophy rates were significantly higher, underscoring the immense commercial appeal of this historic rivalry.
As India gears up for the knockout stages, the viewership numbers and excitement surrounding the tournament are expected to soar even higher.
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