iWorld
Discovery+ introduces India-special original shows
KOLKATA: Launched earlier this year, Discovery+ is all set to up the ante by foraying into original programming for the India market.
With an eye on audience demand, Discovery+ has planned a slew of original shows starting from 9 December, which includes Mission Frontline, featuring movie star Rana Daggubati; Ladakh Warriors: The Sons of the Soil, narrated in Hindi by actor Randeep Hooda; and Secrets of Sinauli: Discovery of the Century, which will be presented by acclaimed Indian Film director Neeraj Pandey along with National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee as the host.
A new original content slate
Since debuting in the Indian OTT space in March 2020, Discovery+ has added over 600 marquee shows across 60 different sub-genres including survival, sports, biopics, mystery, lifestyle, nature, science, military, crime, investigation, adventure, food, travel, to name just a few.
Within the first half of 2021, Discovery+ will have the largest-ever content offering in the real-life entertainment and learning space with a wide range of more than 200 new and exclusive (local and global) titles to further strengthen its content offerings. Along with India produced originals, Discovery+ will also be launching other Indian titles including shows such as Amma & Appa, The Indian Dream Hotel, The Ganges with Sue Perkins, Aerial India as well as exclusive premieres like A Perfect Planet featuring Sir David Attenborough, The End of The Storm, The Impossible Row and the latest seasons of Top Gear and Gold Rush among many more.
‘For those who want to be entertained & informed’
Discovery South Asia MD Megha Tata said, “We’re only a few months old but Discovery+ has exceeded our expectations of user adoption. The traction that the product has seen demonstrates the immense appetite Indian consumers have for real-life entertainment and learning space. With Discovery+, we are seizing a global opportunity with a single aggregated product. No other media company is better positioned to do this.”
Discovery APAC direct-to-consumer head Issac John added that the platform’s Indian originals have been specially produced for heartland audiences who love real-life entertainment and learning. “These shows reflect the particular needs of our consumers – who seek to be both entertained and informed. They will provide our viewers unprecedented access to real-life stories that have never been told before. We’re delighted to launch Discovery+ Originals with such a varied and differentiated slate of shows.”
New features on the app
Furthermore, subscribers of the app will also be able to relish 12 live feeds from the Discovery bouquet from varied genres and channels including Dkids, HGTV, Eurosport India HD, Food Network HD, Travel Channel HD, DMAX HD along with Discovery HD, Animal Planet HD, TLC HD, Investigation Discovery HD, Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo, starting 15 December.
To commemorate the global launch of Discovery+, the India-based app is also rebranding itself, unveiling a brand-new logo keeping in line with the global rollout of the offering across 25 international markets.
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.
