The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed some staggering numbers regarding the viewership records of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 held in South Africa.
According to the international apex body, the 20-over showpiece event became the most-watched women’s event. The global viewing hours for the competition reached 192 million, a 44% increase from the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia.
Notably, the final of the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup was held between the hosts South Africa and mighty Australia, where the Meg Lanning-led side emerged victorious by 19 runs at Cape Town.
“The event has created a long-term legacy for women’s cricket in South Africa, inspiring a new generation of girls and boys to pick up a bat and ball. The overall viewership figures for the event shattered past records with an increase of 790% of fans tuning in to enjoy the World Cup compared to the previous edition in 2020,” said the ICC in an official release.
“This was highlighted by the broadcast figures in the host nation, which saw a 130% increase in live coverage, including the final – involving South Africa for the first time in an ICC event, men’s or women’s, which was available on free-to-air television,” the release added.
Further, the match that received the highest viewership in India was the high-voltage clash against arch-rivals Pakistan. This game generated an impressive combined total of 32.8 million hours of live viewing across both the Star Sports network and Disney+ Hotstar.
Even though India did not make it to the tournament’s final round, the total number of live viewing hours across television and digital platforms saw a significant increase of 57% from the 2020 edition. According to the ICC, the viewership numbers surpassed previous records, with a remarkable 790% surge in fans tuning in to watch the World Cup.
“Total live viewing hours across linear TV and digital platforms up by 57% from 2020 despite India not reaching the final, showcasing fans’ demand for women’s cricket in the country. Overall, the most-watched game in India was the Women in Blue’s group stage fixture against Pakistan, which received a combined 32.8 million live viewing hours across the Star Sports network and Disney+ Hotstar,” the release added further.
The total number of live viewing hours for the mega event in the United Kingdom was 6.9 million, marking a 26% increase from 2020 and a 16% increase from the 2018 event.
