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
iWorld
Spotify rolls out ‘Verified by Spotify’ badge for artists
New badge and profile details aim to boost transparency in AI-driven music era.
MUMBAI: In a world where even playlists can have imposters, Spotify is adding a badge of trust. The streaming platform has begun rolling out a new ‘Verified by Spotify’ badge, alongside expanded artist profile details, as it looks to bring greater clarity to listeners navigating an increasingly complex mix of human and AI-generated music. The badge, currently in beta, will appear on artist profiles that meet Spotify’s internal criteria for authenticity. These include consistent listener engagement, adherence to platform policies and signs of a real-world presence such as live performances, merchandise or active social media profiles. Notably, profiles representing primarily AI-generated artists will not be eligible for verification at launch.
Spotify says the verification process will combine automated systems with human review, prioritising artists with sustained audience interest over those driven by short-term spikes. The rollout will be gradual, with the badge appearing across profiles and search results over the coming weeks. The company noted that more than 99 per cent of artists users actively search for are already included in the initial phase.
Alongside the badge, Spotify is also introducing a new artist details section within profiles. Available even for non-verified artists, the feature will highlight career milestones, release activity and touring history, offering listeners a more comprehensive view of an artist’s journey and output.
The move builds on Spotify’s broader push towards transparency, complementing existing features such as SongDNA, expanded song credits and AI attribution tools. Together, these updates aim to give users more context about what they are listening to and who is behind it.
As generative AI continues to blur the lines between creator and creation, Spotify’s latest update signals a clear intent: in the streaming era, authenticity is becoming just as important as accessibility.
