iWorld
India vs Pakistan viewership on JioHotstar surpasses T20 World Cup 2024 final
Digital reach hit 163 million, beating the 2024 final; up 56 per cent year on year
MUMBAI: The India–Pakistan group-stage clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has rewritten viewership records, becoming the most-watched ICC T20 match in digital history.
Broadcast and streamed by JioStar on JioHotstar, the match drew a digital reach of 163 million, surpassing even the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final. Digital reach rose 56 per cent compared with the previous India–Pakistan encounter at the 2024 edition.
On mobile devices, the fixture recorded the highest league-stage reach of any ICC T20 event, clocking 1.2 times the audience of the last India–Pakistan clash. Connected TV viewership surged even more sharply, delivering a reach 2.4 times higher than the same fixture in 2024.
Across platforms, the match generated more than 20 billion minutes of watch time, a 42 per cent jump over the previous edition. India’s emphatic win, which extended its head-to-head record against Pakistan at T20 World Cups to 8–1, helped sustain viewing through the contest.
Linear television also delivered. The broadcast registered a 71 per cent rise in ratings, making it the highest-rated India–Pakistan T20 match since 2021 and underlining the continued pull of appointment viewing for marquee sporting events.
With associate nations adding competitive edge, cumulative digital reach for the tournament has already overtaken that of the entire 2024 edition at the same stage. India, meanwhile, has secured qualification for the Super 8s beginning 21 February, as the defending champions push for a second consecutive T20 title.
JioStar head of sales for sports Anup Govindan, said the scale of engagement reflected the unmatched pull of the India–Pakistan rivalry across platforms. JioStar head of sports content Siddharth Sharma, added that the numbers underscored India’s deep-rooted obsession with the T20 World Cup and the appetite for immersive, multi-format coverage.
Gaming
Bluestone FY26 revenue rises to Rs 2,436 crore, turns profitable
Q4 profit at Rs 31 crore, full-year profit at Rs 13 crore vs loss last year.
MUMBAI: From sparkle to numbers, Bluestone seems to be polishing more than just jewellery this year. Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited reported a sharp turnaround in FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 2,436 crore (Rs 24,364 million), up from Rs 1,770 crore (Rs 17,700 million) in FY25. The company posted a full-year profit of Rs 13 crore (Rs 131.79 million), a significant recovery from a loss of Rs 222 crore (Rs 2,218 million) a year ago.
Total income for the year stood at Rs 2,486 crore (Rs 24,860 million), compared to Rs 1,830 crore (Rs 18,300 million) in the previous year, reflecting both topline growth and improved operational momentum.
The March quarter, however, told a more nuanced story. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 681 crore (Rs 6,814 million), down from Rs 748 crore (Rs 7,486 million) in the year-ago period, though higher than Rs 461 crore (Rs 4,613 million) in the preceding December quarter. Net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 31 crore (Rs 311.81 million), compared to Rs 68 crore (Rs 688 million) a year earlier, but a clear reversal from a loss of Rs 51 crore (Rs 512 million) in Q3.
Margins were shaped by higher input costs, with raw material consumption rising to Rs 2,204 crore (Rs 22,043 million) for the full year, alongside employee benefit expenses of Rs 282 crore (Rs 2,824 million) and finance costs of Rs 210 crore (Rs 2,104 million). Other expenses came in at Rs 371 crore (Rs 3,715 million), slightly lower than Rs 393 crore (Rs 3,938 million) in FY25.
On the balance sheet front, total assets expanded to Rs 4,961 crore (Rs 49,610 million) as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,532 crore (Rs 35,322 million) a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in inventories to Rs 2,672 crore (Rs 26,718 million). Equity also strengthened to Rs 1,803 crore (Rs 18,030 million), nearly doubling from Rs 911 crore (Rs 9,107 million).
Cash flows reflected the cost of growth. Net cash used in operating activities stood at Rs 199 crore (Rs 1,990 million), while investing activities saw an outflow of Rs 239 crore (Rs 2,392 million). Financing activities, however, generated Rs 497 crore (Rs 4,971 million), helping the company end the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 108 crore (Rs 1,075 million), up from Rs 49 crore (Rs 487 million).
Earnings per share for FY26 came in at Rs 1.10, a sharp improvement from a negative Rs 79.74 in FY25, underlining the shift from losses to profitability.
With revenue scaling up, costs still glittering on the higher side, and profitability finally back in the black, BlueStone’s FY26 performance suggests a business mid-transition less about shine alone, and more about sustaining it.
