JioHotstar, the official streaming platform for the Indian Premier League (IPL), recorded its highest-ever reach with 1.3 billion views for the opening weekend of the tournament, which started on March 22.
The digital viewership of the first three matches was 40% higher than last year, fueled by a 54% increase in connected TV (CTV) consumption, JioStar said on Friday.
The OTT platform reported a peak concurrency of 34 million and 21.86 billion minutes of watch time for the first three matches in IPL 2025. The opening weekend featured matches, including the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders versus Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad versus Rajasthan Royals, and Chennai Super Kings versus Mumbai Indians.
The JioStar Network (including JioHotstar and Star Sports Network (TV) had a cumulative watch time of 49.56 billion minutes for the IPL’s opening weekend. This is the first IPL season since the merger between its domestic linear (Star) and digital (Viacom18) partners.
TV viewership, meanwhile, saw a rise of 22% to 27.7 billion minutes of watch time compared to last year’s IPL season, with 253 million viewers watching it on the small screen, as per the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India data. The average television viewer rating (TVR) for the first three matches was up by 39% compared to the previous season.
“As the tournament unfolds, we look forward to delivering an interactive IPL experience by serving every fan with a suite of customised viewing options, creating unmissable moments, unforgettable stories, and a truly immersive IPL,” Sanjog Gupta, chief executive officer, sports, JioStar, said.