Mumbai: JioStar on Wednesday announced that the recently concluded IPL 2026 became the most-watched edition in the tournament’s history, with the cumulative reach crossing 1.2 billion viewers across television and digital platforms.
According to the broadcaster, IPL 2026 registered a 7 per cent year-on-year growth in reach, while total watch time touched 870 billion minutes. The final, in which Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched their second consecutive title, emerged as the most-watched match in IPL history, attracting more than 400 million viewers across screens.
The season also witnessed strong growth in digital consumption. Connected TV (CTV) viewership increased by 22 per cent, highlighting the growing convergence of television-scale audiences with digital viewing experiences.
Digital video views reached 25 billion, an increase of 8 per cent over the previous season, while regional language watch time on digital platforms surged by 33 per cent.
Speaking on the record viewership figures, Ishan Chatterjee, CEO, Sports, JioStar, said IPL 2026 marked a new phase in creating an integrated sports-viewing ecosystem.
“IPL 2026 was a season where we set out on our journey of what a truly integrated sports platform should look like. Our endeavour was to make every screen, every interaction, and every moment meaningful, so that fans are not only watching sports on our platform but also interacting with it in ways that are deeply contextual and personal,” he said.
“The season-ending data is a testament to the efforts we made across platforms, with CTV’s communal experience and regional-language presentation becoming unprecedented growth drivers,” he added.
JioStar’s coverage of the 19th edition of the IPL featured broadcasts in 12 languages, multi-camera viewing options and 30 different feeds. The broadcaster also introduced “Champions Wali Commentary”, featuring former cricketers, champions and prominent voices from the sport.
The broadcaster said integrations with OpenAI and Swiggy helped create a more personalised viewing experience for fans while enabling brands to engage audiences contextually during live matches.
JioStar added that IPL 2026 attracted 125 new advertisers compared to last season. While 22 sponsors partnered with JioHotstar, another 16 associated with the Star Sports Network.
Following the conclusion of the IPL, JioStar is currently broadcasting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 and will also cover India’s upcoming white-ball tour of England featuring five T20Is and three ODIs beginning July 1.
