iWorld
Disney+ Hotstar hits 4.3 crore peak viewers in Cricket World Cup 2023
Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar achieved a ground-breaking milestone in the world of cricket streaming by recording a peak concurrency of 4.3 crore viewers during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and New Zealand on Oct 22, 2023. This represents the highest peak concurrency number achieved across all formats of cricket, breaking their own recent concurrency record of 3.5 crore viewers that was created during the India Vs. Pakistan match earlier in this tournament. Moreover, the epic on-ground cricket battle between India and New Zealand also crossed the earlier concurrency of 2.5 crore viewers, clocked during their clash at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 semi-finals.
Commenting on this, Disney+ Hotstar India head Sajith Sivanandan said, “We want to thank our users who flocked to Disney+ Hotstar for the thrilling game between India vs New Zealand, and helped us reset the world record for concurrent viewers for a live streaming event. We served 4.3 crore concurrent viewers (43 Million) at its peak during the match – a historical high and easily surpassed the 3.5 crore number (35 Million) previously set for the India vs Pakistan match in the same tournament. As the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 enters its business end and as it grabs the attention of India increasingly, we will continue to strive towards bringing these memorable moments to our users’ screens.”
Tune in to Disney+ Hotstar to watch the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 lice and free on mobile. The tournament will also be broadcast live on Star Sports Network
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.
