The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League broke the viewership record for the opening weekend. In the first match of the cash-rich tournament, held on March 22 at the iconic Eden Gardens, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders took on Royal Challengers Bengaluru, followed by two blockbuster clashes on Sunday, between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
In these three matches, JioHotstar, the official live stream partner of the IPL, registered 137 crore views. Television viewership saw a surge of 39% in average TVR YoY, and 25.3 crore viewers in the first three matches - the biggest opening in IPL history. In culmination, a total of 4956 crore minutes were watched across TV and digital.
IPL 2025 is setting a new benchmark for how India engages with live sports and entertainment at an unmatched scale. The opening weekend showcased the power of innovation in creating richer, more interactive experiences, allowing fans to connect with the game like never before. As we continue to expand IPL’s reach, bringing the game to newer audiences, we move closer to our ambition of lighting up a billion screens and making this season a historic moment in how sports and entertainment are experienced in India,” Kiran Mani, CEO of JioStar digital said.
“The record-breaking viewership across digital and TV platforms over the opening weekend of TATA IPL 2025 reaffirms the tournament’s unmatched popularity bolstered significantly by the wide reach of our platforms and our commitment to creating deeper fan connections, in turn redefining how India experiences sports. With cumulative watch time of 4,956 crore minutes, this season has begun on an extraordinary note. As the tournament unfolds, we look forward to continuing to deliver an inclusive, intuitive and interactive IPL experience by serving every fan with a suite of customized viewing options, creating unmissable moments, unforgettable stories, and a truly immersive IPL,” CEO of Future Sports, Sanjog Gupta added.