Sports
JioStar’s IPL 2026 viewership crosses one billion screens
Connected TV is the surprise story of the season as the tournament cements its position as the biggest live sports event in India
MUMBAI: The numbers are staggering and the season is not even over yet. JioStar has announced that the Tata IPL 2026 has already surpassed a cumulative reach of 1.06 billion screens across digital and linear television, a 7 per cent jump over the previous season, making this the biggest edition in the tournament’s 19-year history.
Average match reach has climbed to 277 million, up 6 per cent on last year, as fans tune in across more than 20 feeds in 12 languages. But the headline story this season is Connected TV, which has emerged as the fastest-growing platform with a 26 per cent rise in reach and a 20 per cent increase in consumption year on year. In a telling sign of how fast the shift is happening, the total CTV reach from the entire previous season was matched by a single game this year, Game 45, alone.
Linear television, far from being written off, continues to do the heavy lifting. Reach at a comparable stage of the tournament is already tracking in line with last year and is on course to cross 500 million, reinforcing broadcast TV’s position as the single largest driver of reach for the IPL.
The advertiser picture is equally striking. On the digital side, 22 sponsors have partnered with JioHotstar while 16 have signed on with the Star Sports Network for linear TV. The season has drawn 125 new advertisers compared to last year, spanning legacy Indian brands and new-age technology platforms, a sign that IPL’s value as a national-scale advertising vehicle is still widening.
Anup Govindan, head of sales at JioStar Sports, said the season was not merely building on last year but reshaping expectations entirely. “The scale we are witnessing today is unprecedented, with over a billion screens already engaged,” he said. “What stands out is not just the growth in reach, but the depth of engagement across platforms, especially the rapid acceleration of Connected TV. This season is a clear testament to how the biggest sporting property in the country continues to get even bigger, delivering unmatched value for fans and partners alike.”
JioStar also introduced its Champions Wali Feed this season, featuring cricketing legends including Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan offering analysis, insight and stories alongside live action.
With the playoff race intensifying and the numbers still climbing, the question is no longer whether this will be the biggest IPL ever. It already is. The only thing left to settle is by how much.
