India vs New Zealand Champions Trophy Final Draws Record TV Audience

India’s victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, defeating New Zealand by four wickets in a high-stakes final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday wasn’t just a moment to celebrate on the field—it also shattered digital viewership records. Jio Hotstar registered an astonishing 845 million views by the time the match ended, showing just how massive the appetite for cricket is among fans.

Streaming numbers started climbing early. When New Zealand batted first and posted 251/7, viewership had already hit 397 million. Daryl Mitchell’s steady 63 off 101 balls and Michael Bracewell’s quick 53 off 40 gave their team a fighting total, but India’s spin duo, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, kept the Black Caps from running away with the game. The real spike in views came when India began its chase, as fans tuned in to watch the action unfold.

The massive audience wasn’t a one-time thing. Earlier in the tournament, the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash on February 23 drew 206 million TV viewers, making it the second most-watched cricket match in Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) history outside of World Cup events. That match also saw Virat Kohli become the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs. The watch-time for that game alone reached 2609 crore minutes, even surpassing the 2023 ODI World Cup match in Ahmedabad with an 11% higher TV rating.

The semifinal against Australia continued the trend, drawing an impressive 669 million views. But the final took things to another level, setting new records and proving that digital platforms are becoming the go-to way for fans to watch the game.

JioStar, which now manages streaming after the Jio and Hotstar merger, was quick to acknowledge the milestone. A company spokesperson shared, “JioStar is scaling new heights as far as India’s experience of marquee sporting events is concerned. Combining the power of deep consumer focus, immersive storytelling, universalised access and incisive marketing, Star Sports has galvanised the interest in this age-old rivalry. We remain committed to serving fans, deepening fandom and recruiting new cohorts.”

Previously, Disney+ Hotstar provided real-time data on concurrent viewers. Now, under JioStar, only total view counts are being reported, with data on unique viewers yet to be shared. Regardless, the numbers show how much digital viewership has grown, and the Champions Trophy final has only cemented cricket’s place in the online world.