Key points
- The October 5 clash at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, became the most-watched women’s international cricket match ever.
- The match achieved 28.4 million digital reach and 1.87 billion minutes of total watch-time; ICC confirms.
- First 11 matches recorded a 166% surge in viewership and 327% rise in watch-time from the previous edition.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan- India Women’s ODI World Cup clash on October 5 has shattered digital-viewing records, achieving an unprecedented reach of 28.4 million and a staggering 1.87 billion minutes watched, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced.
The high-voltage encounter played at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, has become the most-watched women’s international cricket match of all time.
While the India-Pakistan game stole the spotlight, the first half of the tournament’s league stage has also witnessed record-breaking engagement across both digital and television platforms. The contest further emerged as the highest-rated league-stage match in tournament history for TV audiences.
According to ICC data, the first 11 matches of the competition, including India’s fixtures against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and South Africa, collectively attracted 72 million viewers, marking a 166% surge compared to the previous edition.
Total viewing time skyrocketed by 327%, amassing 6.3 billion minutes of watch-time.
Crowd attendance has been particularly vibrant in matches featuring India and Sri Lanka on home turf, though fixtures without a “home” side occasionally witnessed more modest turnouts. In Colombo, for example, some non-local games drew four-figure crowds, with weather interruptions further affecting attendance.
The ICC’s updated data revealed that the first 13 matches of the World Cup reached over 60 million viewers, representing a five-fold increase from 2022. Total global watch-time hit 7 billion minutes, an extraordinary twelve-fold jump from the last edition.
The momentum continued beyond the India-Pakistan fixture, the India vs Australia match on October 12 recorded 4.8 million peak concurrent viewers, setting yet another record for women’s cricket.
With these figures, the ongoing Women’s ODI World Cup is not just rewriting statistics, it’s reshaping the global narrative of women’s cricket, proving that passion, performance, and purpose have finally found their audience.
