iWorld
ALTBalaji & ZEE5 announce second season of Code M
MUMBAI: ZEE5 India and ALTBalaji have announced the second season of Jennifer Winget and Tanuj Virwani-starrer Code M, and Riddhi Dogra and Monica Dogra-starrer new web series ‘A Married Woman’, based on Manju Kapur’s novel. These key announcements were made in the presence of actors including Jennifer Winget, Tanuj Virwani, Riddhi Dogra, along with Aditya Pittie, Managing Director – IN10 Media, Samar Khan, Chief Operating Officer – Juggernaut Productions, and other celebrities.
The night also brought together many starry names from the tinsel town including ace director Akshay Choubey along with the actors like Chandan Roy Sanyal, Aalekh Kapoor, Kashyap Shangari, Madhurima Roy and Gautam Ahuja.
ALTBalaji MD Ekta Kapoor said, "Samar, Akshay and the team put in the best efforts, walked the thin line between being commercial and yet credible, and did a fantastic job. Code M has done well for us and congratulations Jennifer, Tanuj and the entire team. ALTBalaji is delighted to extend this partnership with Juggernaut Productions with A Married Woman and Code M second season.”
“Code M has all the elements of a runaway success and the numbers and the love received from fans across India is a testament to that. The strong protagonist and the story telling are its key success factors. We will continue to satiate India’s appetite for entertainment with interesting subjects like the one explored in Code M,” said ZEE5 India programming head Aparna Acharekar.
Juggernaut Productions COO Samar Khan said, “With the influx of digital platforms, content has evolved drastically, especially the stories and formats, leading to a highly competitive and cluttered environment. It’s extremely overwhelming that our first production has hit the right note with the audience.” Further added, “This is our first collaboration with ALT Balaji and ZEE5 but there’s more in the pipeline. Apart from Code M, we are delighted to extend our association with ‘A Married Woman’. The teaser has evoked a lot of curiosity and anticipation, we are all excited and geared up to create yet another exceptional series.”
Jennifer Winget who made her digital debut with the role of Major Monica Mehra in Code M said, “I am both thrilled and humbled at the same time to see the audience’s appreciation for Code M and all our performances. We gave it our best to reel in a gripping show that would get you hooked. Of course, to receive so much love in my very first web series is very encouraging. Needless to say we’re hooked too and I am excitedly diving into my character the second time around. We will be giving it our all. The intensity will only peak, I can promise you that.”
Tanuj Virwani, who plays the role of Angad Sandhu in the show, shared, “I think my character in Code M is a prime example of what one can achieve solely based on mutual trust and faith in each other’s creative vision. The team really let me mix things up and add my own nuances to Angad. It’s fun to be break away from our preconceived notions of what we expect an individual to be based on their choice of career. Also the subject matter of the show was very serious in nature for the most Part. I think Angad’s Vibe gave the show some levity. It also helped in humanising an otherwise cut and dry Monica to some extent. The response from critics and the audience alike has been overwhelmingly positive and I am excited to take the series and my character's journey ahead.”
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.






