In a spectacular display of digital viewership, Disney+ Hotstar has shattered global live streaming records as 44 million viewers tuned in to watch former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli equal the record for the most centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs) against South Africa during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. This milestone surpassed the previous record of 43 million concurrent viewers from the India vs. New Zealand match on October 22.
The streaming service has been on a record-breaking spree, previously notching 35 million concurrent viewers during the electrifying India vs. Pakistan match earlier in October, which was the highest digital viewership at the time. Disney+ Hotstar’s strategic move to offer free streaming for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the Asia Cup has played a significant role in achieving these numbers.
Sajith Sivanandan, head of Disney+ Hotstar, expressed that providing wider access to these major cricket events was aimed at expanding the viewership ecosystem. This approach seems to be a boon for the platform, which has faced intense competition in India’s robust video streaming market.
Despite being the leading service in the country, Disney+ Hotstar has recently seen a significant decline in its subscriber base, losing nearly 21 million users over the last three quarters. The drop to 40.4 million subscribers from a high of 61.3 million corresponds with the loss of key content such as IPL streaming rights and premium HBO shows, now acquired by rival Viacom18’s JioCinema.
Disney’s interim CFO, Kevin Lansberry, acknowledged the decline during an earnings call, pointing to a pivot away from IPL-centric content to a more diversified portfolio of sports and entertainment. This shift is part of a broader strategy as Disney reportedly contemplates a sale or forming a joint venture for its Star India business, which was part of the substantial $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019.
In a significant move last year, Disney Star secured the digital and television rights for all ICC events up to 2027 for an estimated $3 billion, later sublicensing the television rights to Zee Entertainment Enterprises. This strategic content acquisition could be a key to retaining its position in the competitive streaming landscape and potentially reversing the recent subscriber downtrend.
Disney+ Hotstar’s recent viewership achievements highlight the immense popularity of cricket in India and the power of live sports to draw in massive digital audiences. The record-breaking viewership numbers not only reinforce the platform’s dominance in live sports streaming but also underscore the ever-growing appetite for digital content consumption in the country.
Source
