iWorld
Cricket World Cup 2023 shatters records with millions of viewers
Mumbai: The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has set more record-breaking numbers as hundreds of millions of fans engage with the biggest Cricket World Cup ever.
The event that runs from 5 October to 19 November has seen fans in India through Global Broadcast partner Disney Star consuming more Men’s Cricket World Cup cricket than ever before. The live broadcast for the first 18 tournament matches has clocked up 123.8 billion viewing minutes which is a 43 per cent growth compared to the previous edition in England and Wales in 2019.
The World Cup has also witnessed an incredible 364.2 million viewers tuning in to the live broadcast of the first 18 matches of the tournament, with fans enjoying the very best of cricket in one day, combined with the unique Indian passion for the sport and the national pride of all competing nations creating an unrivalled global sporting occasion.
The monumental clash between India and Pakistan played on 14 October in Ahmedabad witnessed a peak live concurrency on television of 76 million and 35 million concurrent viewers on digital.
India’s clash against New Zealand in Dharamsala on 22 October eclipsed the record for highest digital concurrency set by the India v Pakistan clash when it witnessed 43 million concurrent viewers on Disney+ Hotstar during the final overs of the match. This was the highest peak across any format of cricket ever on digital.
Fans inside the venue have been able to enjoy the true celebration of the best all-round cricket experience with a total of more than 542,000 fans attending matches up to the mid-way point in the event, which is 190,000 more than at the equivalent stage in 2019.
ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said: “We are delighted to see the interest and engagement in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 through the unbelievable audience numbers on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. The World Cup has captured the imagination of the public across India with records tumbling and hundreds of millions of fans enjoying the pinnacle event of the one-day game more than ever before.”
Disney Star head – Sports Sanjog Gupta said: “Marquee Cricket continues to demonstrate unparalleled capacity to aggregate audiences across platforms and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has set new viewership benchmarks on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. With the Indian team’s strong performance, the fluctuating fortunes of top teams, and a competitive points table, we expect a further increase in the momentum of the tournament. Disney Star is committed to serving sports fans and will continue to delight viewers around the world with its coverage of the global event.”
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
