~ 20.6 Crore TV viewers watch the marquee clash of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025
~ 2nd most watched Cricket match (excluding World Cups) in BARC history ~
~ More than 10% growth in ratings compared to the same clash in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup India 2023 ~
Mumbai: JioStar continues to elevate the scale of live sporting events across TV & Digital, smashing TV records with the broadcast of India vs Pakistan clash in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. The exciting contest, branded as the Greatest Rivalry by Star Sports since 2021, was watched by an unprecedented 20.6 Crore TV viewers, which made it the second most watched Cricket match in BARC history (outside of the World Cup matches).
The latest edition of the Greatest Rivalry, played on February 23 during ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, even surpassed the previous 50-over India vs Pakistan face-off in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup India 2023. Ratings (TVR) for the match held in Dubai were ~11% higher than the match in Ahmedabad during the ODI World Cup in 2023. The match that saw Virat Kohli becoming the fastest to 14,000 ODI runs, also clocked a staggering 2609 Crore minutes of TV watch-time.
Speaking on this achievement, a JioStar – Sports, spokesperson commented, “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.”
Fans and viewers were in for a surprising delight during the high-voltage match when former captain MS Dhoni and Bollywood star Sunny Deol were captured together watching the match live. The moment captured the imagination of the country and became an instantly shareable moment even reaching non-viewers.
Maintaining its track record of serving deeply engaging programming in the lead-up to the Greatest Rivalry, Star Sports put together a slate which included special shows such as “Thank You Pakistan…Jeetega Hindustan” featuring legends from both countries including Navjot Singh Sidhu, Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, and Inzamam-Ul-Haq and “Follow the Blues” featuring the Indian team’s preparations before the D-day. On match day, live coverage on Star Sports kicked off at 8:00 AM with “Dil Se India” showcasing preparations and anticipation for the summit clash. Oaksmith Cricket Live – Star Sports’ live pre, mid and post-match shows – as part of the live broadcast was watched by 2.2 Crore viewers in addition to the viewers who also watched the live match.
There is no stopping to Indian fans’ excitement as the 2025 edition of Champions Trophy comes to its business end with the unbeaten Men In Blue taking on New Zealand in the summit clash on March 9th. This could be yet another moment of glory for Team India and see them being crowned champions again after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The coverage for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 Final between India and New Zealand will tip off at 8:00 AM on March 9th across the JioStar network.
