Disney's Hotstar Sets New Streaming Record with Over 53M Viewers for India-New Zealand Cricket Match

A key cricket match between India and New Zealand broke all previous records for on-demand video streaming on Wednesday, drawing over 53 million concurrent viewers to Walt Disney Co DIS Hotstar. 

This achievement surpassed Hotstar's previous record of 44 million simultaneous viewers set earlier in the month. 

Also Read: Disney+ Hotstar Parent Set To Merge With Star India Amid Sale Talks: Report

With these numbers, Hotstar has established a significant lead in concurrent viewership over its competitor, Mukesh Ambani-backed Viacom18's JioCinema, which peaked at 32 million earlier this year, TechCrunch reports.

Disney is offering free streaming of ICC World Cup cricket matches to mobile users in India as it faced declining digital subscribers in the country, with Hotstar losing over 23 million subscribers in 2022. 

Disney CEO Bob Iger wanted to continue operations in India, where the TV business remains profitable and is exploring options. 

Disney has engaged in preliminary discussions with several entities, including Reliance and private equity firms, for its India business, once a critical asset of Fox before Disney's acquisition. 

However, the challenging market conditions and focus shifts to core businesses have altered Star India's prospects. A

Additionally, Mukesh Ambani's Viacom18, supported by Bodhi Tree and former Fox executives, has drawn top talent from Star India and invested heavily in streaming rights for the IPL cricket tournament, intensifying competition for Hotstar.

Commenting on this, Sajith Sivanandan - Head, Disney+ Hotstar India said, “It's not just Team India breaking records with their 10th straight win at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Indian fans are also tuning into Disney+ Hotstar in unprecedented numbers. Their incredible passion has led us to shatter the peak concurrency record four times during this tournament, setting new benchmarks in live sports streaming. The 5.3 cr concurrent viewers for India's semifinal against New Zealand exceeds the combined population of Australia and New Zealand by more than 1.5 times! This milestone is not just a triumph of technology but a testament to our viewers' unwavering support. With the final just around the corner, we look forward to bringing the nation together to witness the making of sporting history."

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.