JioStar, in collaboration with Media Partners Asia (MPA), today unveiled its groundbreaking "TATA IPL 2025: A Year of Firsts" report at the APOS conference in Bali. The comprehensive report highlights how the TATA IPL 2025 season transcended traditional broadcasting, becoming one of the most successful editions in the league’s history by setting unprecedented benchmarks in viewership, engagement, and technological innovation. JioStar's strategic focus on user-centric design reimagined how fans, brands, and partners connected with live sports across both linear and digital platforms.
"TATA IPL 2025 was a season where the lines between sport, storytelling, and shared experiences truly blurred," stated Sanjog Gupta, CEO – Sports & Live Experiences, JioStar. "It wasn’t just about broadcasting matches - it was where creativity, culture, and commerce converged, with fan connections at the heart of it all. At JioStar, we set out to make every screen feel personal, every interaction meaningful, and every moment unforgettable. From deep consumer journeys to a rich spectrum of viewing experiences, this was a celebration of fandom in all its forms. The real success of the IPL isn’t measured in numbers, but in the moments that moved millions.”
JioStar's design philosophy prioritized intuitive, immersive, and insight-driven experiences across all devices, from Connected TVs to mobile phones. This approach not only significantly boosted fan engagement but also unlocked new avenues for advertisers and distribution partners through flexible solutions, precise targeting, and measurable outcomes across various platforms. The result was a tournament that showcased numerous industry-first achievements.
Key Highlights from a Record-Breaking Season: A Year of Firsts
The "A Year of Firsts" report details the monumental impact of IPL 2025 across several crucial metrics:
Unprecedented Scale:
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Total Reach: A staggering 1.19 billion total reach was recorded, with 537 million viewers on TV and 652 million on digital platforms, marking the largest ever reach for the TATA IPL on JioStar Network.
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Diverse Audience: Women constituted 47% of IPL viewers on Star Sports, highlighting inclusive viewership.
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Finals Spectacle: The IPL Final alone captivated 426 million viewers, split between 189 million on TV and 237 million on digital.
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Platform Growth: JioHotstar's subscriber base surged to 300 million, with 1.04 billion app downloads on Android.
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Peak Concurrency: The tournament recorded a peak concurrency of 55.2 million.
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Device-Specific Reach: Connected TV reached 235 million viewers, while mobile phones accounted for 417 million.
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Watch-Time: Viewers accumulated an astounding 514 billion minutes of tournament watch-time on JioStar platforms, with 840 billion minutes of total watch-time across all channels, including 129 million viewers on Star Sports HD.
Enhanced Engagement:
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Interactive Viewing: MaxView 3.0, a vertical viewing experience, was utilized by 30% of mobile viewers, indicating a strong preference for innovative formats.
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Regional Language Surge: Regional language feeds saw remarkable year-over-year growth, including Hindi (+31%), Telugu (+87%), Tamil (+52%), Kannada (+65%), Bengali (+34%), and Haryanvi (+47%).
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Social Impact: The tournament generated 3.83 billion social interactions.
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Gaming Integration: 44% of TATA IPL mobile viewers participated in the 'Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan' play-along game, blending entertainment with interactive gaming.
Brand & Advertiser Triumph:
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IPL 2025 was dubbed a "Year of the Advertisers," attracting over 425 advertisers, including more than 270 debutants across 40 unique categories on JioStar.
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Measured Success: 32 brands across 9 categories leveraged Nielsen's third-party measurement, showcasing the effectiveness and accountability of advertising on the platform.
Revolutionary Technology:
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JioStar delivered one of the most immersive and engaging viewing experiences through a suite of advanced technologies:
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Multi-Cam in 16:9: Allowing viewers to seamlessly switch between multiple camera feeds (Batter Cam, Bowler Cam, Stump Cam) in high-resolution directly on the JioHotstar app.
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360-degree/VR Streaming: Fans experienced live matches with an immersive 360° view on mobile or stepped into virtual reality using devices like JioDive.
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Voice Assisted Search on CTV: Enabling intuitive, hands-free navigation for Connected TV viewers.
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Introduction of Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (FAST) channels: Dedicated to TATA IPL, offering non-stop cricket content without requiring a subscription.
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AI-Powered Match Highlights: Full match highlights were auto-generated using AI, becoming available within minutes post-match for quick recaps.
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AI-led Live Translation of Cricket Experts: Real-time AI translations of live commentary democratized cricket insights, making expert analysis accessible across multiple languages.
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Accessibility Features: Providing Audio Descriptive Commentary for the visually impaired and Indian Sign Language Interpretation for live matches, ensuring inclusivity.
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The full report provides a comprehensive deep dive and is available for download at www.jiostar.com and www.aposlive.com.
As JioStar looks ahead, the success of IPL 2025 offers a powerful blueprint, demonstrating how cutting-edge technology, compelling storytelling, and a steadfast customer-centric approach can converge to deliver truly unmissable, multi-screen experiences for both fans and brands alike.
