Disney’s Hotstar Breaks Records with 59 Million Concurrent Viewers during World Cup Final

In India, where cricket commands unparalleled attention, the World Cup final witnessed an unprecedented surge in viewership on Disney's Hotstar, surpassing the previous week's record of 53 million concurrent viewers. The Sunday game attracted an astonishing 59 million viewers, setting a new benchmark for live streaming platforms. Given the absence of major cricket events in the near future, Hotstar is poised to maintain this record for at least the next six months.

Karobar Karobar
Nov 21, 2023 - 00:35
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Disney’s Hotstar Breaks Records with 59 Million Concurrent Viewers during World Cup Final
Image Credits: AJJAD HUSSAIN / AFP / Getty Images

This achievement solidifies Hotstar's dominance in the concurrent viewers metric, placing it ahead of rival JioCinema, backed by Mukesh Ambani's Viacom18, which peaked at 32 million earlier this year.

Notably, this milestone occurs at a crucial juncture for Disney, the parent company of Hotstar. While Disney is currently streaming ICC World Cup cricket matches at no cost to mobile viewers in India, Hotstar has faced a decline in digital subscribers. Over the past year, Hotstar has lost more than 23 million subscribers, according to Disney's reports.

Disney CEO Bob Iger, acknowledging the challenges, expressed the company's desire to remain in India and is exploring various options for its local business. Preliminary discussions have taken place with potential partners, including Reliance Industries, led by Mukesh Ambani, and private equity giants. This strategic evaluation comes as Disney grapples with shifting market conditions and focuses on its core businesses.

The fate of Star India, a key asset in Disney's portfolio, has evolved in recent years, influenced by market dynamics and increased competition. Ambani's strategic moves, including poaching top executives from Star India for Viacom18 and a substantial investment of $3 billion to stream the IPL cricket tournament for five years, have added complexity to Disney's position. While Disney is also investing $3 billion in broadcasting IPL matches on TV, Viacom18's aggressive initiatives and partnerships underscore the intensifying competition in the streaming space.

Disney had ambitious expectations for the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup, projecting to marketers that it could surpass 50 million concurrent viewers during the tournament. Internal documents reviewed by TechCrunch revealed a goal of reaching 82% of the total annual video users in India over the nearly 50-day series.