iWorld
2016’s top moments on Facebook
MUMBAI: Each year, Facebook reviews the moments, events and trends that people shared and talked most about. Today, we’re excited to share those top moments from 2016. The top moments represents most talked about, shared and discussed topics that dominated the year that went by.
The methodology to determine the top trenders is simple. The top 10 moments of this year’s Year in Review were measured by how frequently a topic was mentioned in Facebook posts made between 1 January and 27 November, 2016. To put this list together, mentions were analyzed in an aggregated, ‘anonymised’ way and then ranked to create a snapshot of the year on Facebook. The top 10 Live videos were measured by total cumulative views.
While across the world, US Presidential Election, Brazil’s politics and Pokemon Go ruled conversations, in India, things were mostly festive this year with the top trending topic in the country being ‘Diwali’ followed by what Indian follow religiously ‘Cricket’. Uri Attacks and surgical strikes were the third most talked about topic on FB, given its grave significance, in the backdrop of the current nationalistic wave. Here is the full list.
Top 10 most talked about topics from India in 2016 on Facebook:
1. Diwali
2. Cricket
3. Uri attacks and surgical attacks
4. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Movie)
5. Hardwell (India Tour)
6. Priyanka Chopra
7. Rio Olympics
8. Pokemon Go
9. Pathankot
10. iPhone 7 launch
Global Top Moments on Facebook
1. US Presidential Election
2. Brazilian Politics
3. Pokemon Go
4. Black Lives Matter
5. Rodrigo Duterte & Philippine Presidential Election
6. Olympics
7. Brexit
8. Super Bowl
9. David Bowie
10. Muhammad Ali
This year was also the first time Facebook had introduced its live video options, and thus the top live videos warrant its own list.
Top 10 live videos on Facebook from India:
https://www.facebook.com/ajaz.qamer/videos/1769859169954467/
https://www.facebook.com/sonakshisinhaofficial/videos/10154155457904701/
https://www.facebook.com/AmitabhBachchan/videos/1440239589343159/
https://www.facebook.com/IamSRK/videos/1660059270686996/
https://www.facebook.com/aajtak/videos/10154902993692580/
https://www.facebook.com/KajolDevgan/videos/1756974501230484/
https://www.facebook.com/BollywoodTabloidOfficial/videos/1183974758358529/
https://www.facebook.com/aajtak/videos/10154980331897580/
https://www.facebook.com/AAPkaArvind/videos/1129804343783728/
https://www.facebook.com/AjayDevgn/videos/1067612059943103/
Top 10 global live videos:
1. Candace Payne, Chewbacca Mom
2. Ted Yoder, Soundscapes
3. Buzzfeed, Countdown to the next presidential election
4. Atlanta Buzz, People are lining up to hug police officers in Dallas
5. NBC News, Election results
6. Under the Hood, Video of a truck completely carved out of wood
7. Viral Thread, Population count from US to CA
8. CNN, Election results on Empire State building
9. Dena Blizzard, Pokemon Go for moms ”Chardonnay Go”
10. Super Deluxe, Election map
iWorld
T20 World Cup ’26: India–England semi-final sets global streaming record of 619 million views on JioHotstar
India–England semi-final records 65.2 million peak streams
MUMBAI: The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 set a new milestone in global sports streaming, as the India–England semi-final drew record digital audiences on JioHotstar.
The match on 5 March registered 65.2 million peak concurrent viewers, the highest ever recorded for a live event on any streaming platform worldwide. The semi-final also generated 619 million views, making it the most streamed T20 international match in history.
The landmark audience numbers were driven largely by viewers in India, setting a record achieved within a single market, rather than through aggregated viewership across multiple countries.
The high-scoring encounter between India national cricket team and England cricket team produced 499 runs across both innings, fuelling widespread fan engagement across platforms.
According to the International Cricket Council, the digital record surpassed the previous global benchmark of 65 million concurrent viewers, set in November 2024 by another international streaming platform.
Across television and digital platforms combined, the semi-final reached more than 320 million viewers, while total watch time exceeded 23 billion minutes, making it the most watched T20 international match ever.
“This World Cup demonstrates the immense passion of cricket fans and the progress made in bringing the game closer to audiences worldwide,” said ICC chairman Jay Shah.
“This moment reflects the scale of cricket fandom in India and the technological capability required to serve hundreds of millions of viewers simultaneously.”
JioStar vice-chairman Uday Shankar, said the audience surge underscored the future of large-scale digital entertainment.
“One in every three Indians tuned in to watch the second semi-final. Delivering such an experience at scale requires the very best of technology,” he said.
The 619 million views during the match also eclipsed the 533 million views recorded during the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
With the final yet to be played, the 2026 tournament has already set multiple benchmarks in audience reach and digital engagement.
India will face the New Zealand national cricket team in the final on 8 March at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar.
