iWorld
OTT poses regulatory challenges but govt committed to digitisation
NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Rajyavardhan Rathore has said that digital technology platform acted as an equalizer ensuring level playing field and providing equal opportunities for all irrespective of age, region and economic background, but cautioned that techs like OTT posed regulatory challenges too.
Digital technology apart from providing better services, also ensured transparency that enabled plugging leakages at every levels so that the intended benefits trickle down to every citizen, the Minister said here yesterday at the inaugural ceremony of the 23rd International Conference & Exhibition on Terrestrial and Satellite Broadcasting, organised by the Broadcasting Engineering Society (BES) that also is holding the BES Expo 2017.
Also present on the occasion were TRAI chairman RS Sharma and Member of Parliament and Zee chairman Subash Chandra. The theme of the event is `Hybrid Technologies in Broadcasting’.
Rathore said that while digital technology offered immense opportunities to reach out to people, it also posed many challenges with regards to content regulation, illegal broadcasts that demanded innovative solutions to address the concerns. The Over the Top (OTT) applications have democratized the reach of content providing a wide range of services especially to young people with smart gadgets.
However, the OTT applications were a concern for regulatory authority as they were not governed by any law, Rathore said, adding that the government was committed to digitization and the latest Union Budget 2017 had included digital economy as one of the key themes that had allotted Rs 10,000 crore (Rs. 100,000 million) for the Digital India program launched by PM Narendra Modi.
The Minister, along with Chandra and Sharma, also felicitated the winners of the awards constituted by Broadcast Engineering Society in various categories such as broadcasting, engineering, training and innovation. The life time achievement award was conferred to BB Srivastava for his outstanding contributions to the radio FM industry.
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.
