The ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup has witnessed something new. The TV viewership has shrunk in a remarkable way. While 98 million viewers tuned in to watch the first 11 matches of the 2019 World Cup, 90 million viewers watched the first 11 matches of the ongoing World Cup, a BARC report has said.
On the other hand, digital viewership has gone up substantially. Sunday's India Vs NZ match was viewed by 4.3 crore concurrent viewers (peak) on Disney Plus Hotstar. For the most part of the match, at least 2.3 crore concurrent viewers watched it.
Commenting on the development, social media influencer Gabbbar Singh wrote, "The digital adoption of cricket viewing is on an upward trend-line, while TV reach is dropping. Meanwhile, Indian cricket is adding more fans, which is evident when every subsequent tournament beats the previous concurrency record. A shift is happening." This upward trend is all driven by frictionless consumer experience, writes Vivan Vatsa. "TV might lose its relevance in the showdown takes, but still, its advert playbook will be used by these OTTs. 4Cr is just a scratch on the surface. TV still rules user penetration, making TV ad spot a runway," he added.
Sunday's 4.3 crore concurrent viewership is a milestone that highlights cricket's digital conquest, opined another Twitter user. "TV screens may be fading, but the spirit of Indian cricket is soaring high. The game isn't just evolving; it's redefining the rules," he added.
