Video streaming app, Hotstar, has registered a viewership of 267 million viewers in the first three weeks of the VIVO IPL 2019, surpassing last year’s record of 202 million viewers registered for the entire season.
Hotstar also set a global live streaming record, with a concurrency of 12.7 million viewers during the Royal Challengers Bangalore v/s Mumbai Indians match on March 28, 2019. With this, the platform broke its own previous record of 11.2 million concurrent viewers, who watched the India v/s New Zealand T20 match. So far, the tournament has been stellar for Hotstar, with the streaming giant witnessing a remarkable 2x growth in watch time over the same period last year.
In addition to the features that were introduced last year, the platform has rolled out a first-ever social cricket-watching experience this season. With ‘Koi Yaar Nahi Far’, Hotstar is bringing people together irrespective of their location, giving viewers the opportunity to invite their friends and family to the platform, watch the matches, and participate in the Watch ‘N Play game together. Fans can compete and see where they stand against their friends and family through the new social leaderboard.
Varun Narang, Chief Product Officer, Hotstar said, “The remarkable rate at which viewership has grown over the years is testament to the audience pull that VIVO IPL enjoys. On the back of this, Hotstar continues to break records by raising the bar in reinventing the sporting experience for millions of Indians. These staggering numbers in just three weeks signify the platform’s immense reach and scale, as well as our technological ability to deliver an uninterrupted, immersive cricket watching experience for consumers.”
The 12th edition of the VIVO IPL commenced on March 23 and will conclude on May 12.