India-Pakistan WC match most viewed T20 International, claims broadcaster

The much-anticipated India-Pakistan match at the ongoing T20 World Cup clocked a record reach of 167 million viewers, making it the most viewed T20 International till date, the official broadcaster of the event claimed.

The T20 World Cup registered a cumulative reach of 238 million till last week which included the Qualifiers and first 12 games of Super 12 stage, Star India said in a release. The 2016 T20 World Cup semifinal between India and West Indies was the previous highest watched T20 game, with a reach of 136 million viewers.

”With a reach of 167 million, the highly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash on October 24th, an event that saw the arch-rivals meet at an ICC tournament after two years, is now the most viewed T20I match, exceeding the previous high–India-West Indies 2016 ICC World T20 semi-finals,” the release said.

India and Pakistan opened their campaign against each other on October 24 with the Men in Green outplaying their arch-rivals to register a 10-wicket win. ”The India-Pakistan match has created history by clocking a record reach of 167 million viewers, making it the most viewed T20I match till date,” a Star India spokesperson was quoted as saying.

”We have continually strived to grow the audience base for marquee Cricket and this record is a testament to our efforts across high-decibel campaigns, enhanced storytelling, dedicated regional programming, and consumer innovations.” While Pakistan have advanced to the semifinals, India exited the tournament on Monday. ”There’s no doubt that the result of the match and India’s exit from the tournament disappointed fans but the record viewership displays the unique power of Cricket to engage audiences at an unprecedented scale,” the spokesperson added.