JioCinema, the IPL 2023 official digital steaming sponsor, has broken the record for most simultaneous views of a live–streamed game. The digital streaming company recorded 3.2 crore views of a live-stream event on Monday’s final game between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT).
With over 3 crore viewers of the event, the final IPL 2023 game surpassed a previous record set earlier this season. JioCinema recorded 2.7 crore views at the Qualifier 2 IPL 2023 game between GT and the Mumbai Indians (MI). Shubman Gill’s century and other exciting events at this game gives it a special status as one of the IPL’s top games of all time.
What Was the Previous Record Views of an IPL Game?
Hotstar, a subsidiary of Disney, was the previous digital streaming partner for IPL games. The company recorded an impressive 2.5 crore concurrent views for an IPL game in 2019. Hotstar’s record will stand for several seasons before the JioCinema partnership with IPL.
Ambani won the digital hosting rights for IPL games in 2022, beating Disney to the deal with a $3 billion bid. The company won the 5-year deal through Reliance, one of its major subsidiaries.
Another exciting encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 17, 2023 saw about 2.4 crore viewers watch an IPL game. The match was between MS Dhoni’s CSK and Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). That high-octane encounter saw tons of viewers from different regions watch one of IPL 2023’s most exciting games.
The previous record for most concurrent live-stream views of an IPL game also came this season. On April 12, CSK’s loss against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) saw 2.2 crore live-stream viewers tune in to witness one of this season’s top games.
What Other Benchmarks Did JioCinema Set?
JioCinema set an impressive recorded in the first two months of IPL action this season by recording 1500+ crore views across all matches. The streaming partner was able to record such an impressive number on the back of several delayed encounters this season.
JioCinema’s impressive numbers mean CSK and GT are not the only record breakers this season. There’s a high chance that the streaming company may see greater numbers in subsequent IPL seasons if their contract keeps running.
Why Were the Live-Streaming Number So High This Year?
Three (3) major factors contributed to the huge live-streaming numbers recorded by JioCinema at IPL 2023. Here’s a look at each element that made such a huge feat possible in one of world cricket’s most exciting events:
Free streaming
JioCinema offered live-streaming of major IPL games for free across channels this season. The free access to see top IPL franchises in action contributed to JioCinema’s 1,500 crore concurrent views this season.
There’s no telling if the free streaming option will be available in subsequent seasons. However, we’ll expect the numbers to skyrocket if free streaming is an option for viewers in IPL 2024. Numbers may keep increasing year-on-year with free streaming from JioCinema with the current contract running till 2027.
Partnership with NBC Universal and HBO Max
JioCinema’s multi-year partnership with NBC Universal is a major publicity boost to the digital streaming platform. The partnership brought 1000+ hours of NBC Universal content and series to India.
This deal also brought increased interest in JioCinema streams. The massive library of streaming options from JioCinema also took a huge boost with their HBO Max partnership earlier. These partnerships along with multiple device streaming gave JioCinema access to a wider audience and millions of new viewers.
Growing popularity of IPL cricket
Cricket is one of the world’s most popular sporting events with millions of active fans worldwide. The ever-expanding reach of IPL cricket is a major reason why JioCinema recorded such massive live-stream numbers this season.
The international acceptance of JioCinema across regions and boosted popularity in several networks is another contributing factor. Previous seasons also contribute to the popularity of IPL cricket and directly influence a hike in live-stream numbers.
For example, the fairytale triumph of Gujarat Titans at IPL 2022 brought massive publicity to India’s premier cricket spectacle. Many cricket fans from around the world gained interest in IPL games after that unexpected yet fantastic debut IPL championship win. The Gujarat Titans’ progress to a second straight IPL final also gave IPL games immense popularity abroad. Millions of active and non-cricket fans tuned in to see the stellar performances of top players like Mohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and others
