iWorld
Amazon Prime Video, ZEE5 in talks for partnership
MUMBAI: Two strong players in the Indian over-the-top (OTT) ecosystem i.e, Amazon Prime Video and ZEE5 are in talks for a partnership. According to a report in the Economic times, the platforms are currently negotiating for a platform deal.
The report also added quoting an unnamed source that it may take a month for both the parties to reach an agreement. Moreover, the structure of the deal and different models are being explored currently.
Whether ZEE5 content should be made available as an in-app or app-in-app format that is also being discussed. ZEE5 which is now more reliant on AVOD revenue is looking to expand its subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) business with the deal.
While in the United States Amazon has an optional add-on service called Prime Video Channels, Amazon might launch Prime Video Channels in India too. If the deal works out, ZEE5 could be the first service on the platform.
“Acquiring and retaining a customer and running an app is a completely different ball game altogether. Many people are now discovering that it is good to focus on content and partner with other players for distribution. Also, it is not sustainable to have 30-40 OTT services in a market. Economically too, these kind of partnerships are better for the consumer,” a top executive form a leading streaming service said as quoted by ET.
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.
