Disney+ Hotstar achieved a historic global viewership milestone on October 22, with a peak concurrency of approximately 43 million viewers during the India vs New Zealand cricket match in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. This surpassed the previous record of 35 million viewers set during the India versus Pakistan clash on October 14.
The achievement followed Disney+ Hotstar’s decision to offer free streaming access for the ongoing World Cup, responding to competition from JioCinema’s free streaming for the IPL tournament earlier in the year. Disney+ Hotstar had previously provided complimentary streaming for the Asia Cup, garnering 28 million simultaneous viewers during the India vs Pakistan match, marking a significant digital viewership record for any India-involved cricket match.
Déjà woohoo! Another record-breaking performance by all of us! 🎉🥳
Time for a hat-trick?🤞#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/IBm2V39dIl— JioHotstar (@JioHotstar) October 22, 2023
IND vs NZ World Cup Highlights
In an exhilarating showdown in Dharamsala, India extended their triumphant streak in the ongoing World Cup by defeating New Zealand by four wickets. This nail-biting victory marked India’s fifth consecutive win in as many matches, propelling them to the top spot in the ten-team points table.
Chasing a challenging target of 274, India showcased their resilience, wrapping up the match with two overs to spare. Virat Kohli played a pivotal role in India’s run chase, falling just short of a century at 95(104). His innings featured three crucial partnerships, including 52 runs with Shreyas Iyer, 54 with KL Rahul, and a game-changing 78 with Ravindra Jadeja, who remained unbeaten at 39 off 44 balls.
India’s opening duo, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, provided a strong start, amassing 71 runs for the first wicket before Rohit was dismissed for 46(40) by Lockie Ferguson. Shortly after, Ferguson struck again, removing Gill for 26(31). Despite a brief interruption due to haze and low visibility in the 16th over, the match resumed after a short delay.
In the earlier innings, Mohammed Shami emerged as the hero for India, leading their recovery in the final 10 overs with a remarkable five-wicket haul. New Zealand seemed poised to reach the 300-run mark, especially during Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra’s impressive 159-run partnership, achieved in just 152 balls. Mitchell’s commanding innings of 130 in 127 balls was a standout performance. However, New Zealand’s momentum was halted as they managed to score only 54 runs in the last 10 overs, losing six wickets in the process.
