iWorld
SonyLIV elevates Amogh Dusad as head – business operations
KOLKATA: Over-the-top (OTT) platform SonyLIV has elevated Amogh Dusad as head – business operations.
Back in 2019, when the platform embarked on its transformation journey, Dusad was given the position of head – programming and new initiatives, digital business at Sony Pictures Networks India. His role was to handle strategic planning, operations, viewership management and analytics for SonyLIV.
Over a career spanning 18 years, he has delivered in leadership positions covering different facets of the broadcast and digital industry. This has included content acquisition, partnerships with content creators, gaming and second screen interactivity initiatives, digital content creation, revenue maximisation for digital products, consumer insights and analytics.
Earlier in his career, he also led the insights and programming strategy for SET, the flagship channel of Sony Pictures Network India. In this role, he was responsible for the overall business strategy for the channel, consumer insights and collaborations on creative development to drive viewership and P&L management.
While SonyLIV was largely dependent on its catch-up content and sports portfolio, it ramped up its original content library in the last couple of years. The platform was also rebranded with a new vibrant logo in the last year. Its originals including Avrodh, Gullak, Undekhi , and especially Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story have created quite a buzz in the market.
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.
