The ongoing FIFA World Cup has reached 100 million viewers across television and digital platforms in India, while generating 360 million views across social media. Zee’s sports channels have reached an estimated 25 million+ households nationwide, driven by the FIFA World Cup.
Read more: FIFA 2026 is so much more than football
Similarly, the recently concluded IPL recorded 1.2 billion viewers across television and digital platforms, with 870 billion minutes of watch-time, up 7% year-on-year. The final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans became the tournament’s most-watched match ever, reaching over 400 million viewers across screens.
The shift in sports viewing is becoming increasingly visible in audience behaviour, with connected TV emerging as the fastest-growing platform, posting 22% year-on-year growth during the IPL, while digital video views rose 8% to 25 billion. JioStar said the share of regional language watch-time on digital increased 33%, driven by higher consumption among affluent and younger viewers.
The rise of connected TV is coinciding with an erosion in traditional pay television. According to the FICCI-EY report, India lost 11 million pay TV households in 2025, while weekly active connected TV homes increased to about 40 million from 30 million in 2024, underscoring changing viewing habits.
“IPL 2026 was a season in which we embarked on a journey to define what a truly integrated sports platform should look like,” said Ishan Chatterjee, CEO, Sports, JioStar. “The season-ending data is a testament to the efforts we made across platforms, with CTV’s communal experience and regional language presentation emerging as unprecedented growth drivers.”
Zee said its streaming platform Zee5 hosted millions of concurrent users over the FIFA World Cup opening weekend from June 11 to June 14, with average viewer engagement exceeding 190 minutes for live matches, including the inaugural ceremony.
A Zee Entertainment spokesperson said the scale of engagement witnessed over the opening weekend across its digital and linear platforms reflects the growing passion for football in India.