iWorld
Whatsapp message boom rings alarm bells for mobile operators
MUMBAI: Looks like Whatsapp is about to have the last word quite literally. A new study by Juniper Research predicts that over-the-top (OTT) business messaging will leap from 390 billion messages in 2025 to more than 560 billion by 2027, powered by WhatsApp’s cutthroat pricing play.
Juniper’s latest A2P & Business Messaging Market 2025–2030 report finds that Whatsapp’s authentication rates 50 to 90 per cent lower than traditional A2P SMS one-time passcodes are helping it corner a sizeable slice of the enterprise communication pie. With prices this low, businesses are flocking to Whatsapp for their verification and alert needs, edging telecom operators out of the conversation.
“By first securing authentication traffic, Whatsapp is laying the groundwork to move into higher-value business messaging,” said Juniper Research senior research analyst Molly Gatford. “Once enterprises are onboarded for authentication, WhatsApp must upsell to marketing use cases, where termination fees are far higher and the real revenue opportunity lies.”
That’s not good news for mobile network operators, who are already losing ground in the lucrative business messaging arena. Juniper Research warns that if operators don’t adapt, OTT platforms could completely dominate enterprise communication in just a few years.
The report suggests that to keep up, operators must rethink their pricing strategy moving from flat SMS rates to use case-based pricing across SMS and RCS (Rich Communication Services). This, analysts say, will help enterprises understand the added value of RCS and prevent further migration to OTT channels.
To pull this off, telcos will need to partner with technology providers capable of using AI-driven tools and behavioural analysis to classify messages by use case at scale ensuring fair and accurate billing. “By adopting a use case-based pricing strategy that is consistent across SMS and RCS, operators will enable enterprises to better assess RCS’s added value over SMS,” Gatford explained.
Juniper’s new market suite offers one of the most detailed assessments yet of the A2P and business messaging landscape, with over 146,000 datapoints across 61 countries. And the big takeaway? The future of business messaging may not be in your inbox, it’s already in your Whatsapp chats.
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.
