iWorld
Epic On partners with PhonePe to offer 25% off on subscriptions
MUMBAI: Premium OTT platform Epic On has partnered with PhonePe to offer its subscription at a 25 per cent discount to PhonePe’s over 250 million users. PhonePe users can now get a six-month subscription to Epic On’s diverse mix of multiform content across genres and formats for just Rs 299 and an annual subscription for Rs 499.
With the country being hit by a pandemic and people forced to shelter in place, the digital wave got a massive boost and led to a sudden unprecedented surge in the demand for digital and OTT content. The introduction of new digital technologies at a lower cost had already made new inroads for the digital entertainment sector in India. In the past two years, India’s digital streaming industry eclipsed India’s film industry in size and the OTT industry grew by a whopping 240 percent between 2016 and 2019.
Epic On chief operating officer Sourjya Mohanty said, “Having seen the exponential rise in demand for digital entertainment content and digital payment solutions across India, we are excited to partner with PhonePe to leverage their subscription payment features. This will allow our users to utilise their option of easy payments while providing a 25 per cent discount for enjoying our premium content while subscribing from the PhonePe platform.”
PhonePe director of business development Ankit Gaur said, “In the current times, we have seen a rising demand for quality digital entertainment options that can be enjoyed from the safety of home. In line with this, we launched the Subscriptions category in April this year. Our collaboration with Epic On is another important step in providing our users with a seamless way to buy subscriptions at attractive prices. We are working to add more such entertainment options to our platform in the future.”
To buy a subscription, all that PhonePe users need to do is to log in to the PhonePe app and go to the Recharge & Pay Bills section. Then they just need to go to the Subscriptions category and select Epic On and pay for their subscription using UPI/debit or credit card/PhonePe wallet.
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.
