Disney+ Hotstar revealed on Wednesday that Indian smartphone users will have access to the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup for free via the OTT platform, a strategy previously employed during last year’s ODI World Cup and Asia Cup, which garnered significant viewership. The highly anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled to take place in the United States and the Caribbean from June 2 onwards. The tournament will feature twenty teams playing across three venues in the United States and six in the Caribbean.
🚨India’s squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 announced 🚨
Let’s get ready to cheer for #TeamIndia #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/jIxsYeJkYW
— BCCI (@BCCI) April 30, 2024
The T20 World Cup is set to kick off shortly after the conclusion of the thrilling Indian Premier League, ensuring continued excitement among cricket enthusiasts for this major global event. Millions will eagerly tune in to watch the Men in Blue, led by captain Rohit Sharma, vie for victory. Adding to the anticipation, India is scheduled to clash with arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9, a match that will capture the attention of cricket fans worldwide.
Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney+ Hotstar India, emphasized the initiative’s goal to enhance cricket accessibility and broaden its audience reach across the nation. Offering the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 for free on mobile aims to ensure that no sporting action is overlooked and to bring people together through the universal appeal of cricket. Reflecting on previous successes, such as last year’s Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, where both tournaments were provided free on mobile, Sivanandan noted the significant expansion of viewership and the platform’s ability to engage new audience segments.
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During the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which was streamed for free on mobile through the Disney+ Hotstar app, concurrency records were broken five times. The pinnacle was reached during the finals between Team India and Team Australia, with a peak concurrency of 5.9 crore viewers. Disney+ Hotstar, in partnership with the ICC, introduced MaxView for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, enabling users to stream matches on the go in vertical mode. As the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup approaches, the platform is gearing up to introduce a range of new features to enhance the cricket-watching experience once again.
The first match will take place between the USA and Canada on June 2, 2024, at 6:00 AM IST. The ninth edition of the tournament will be hosted by the West Indies and the USA, with the event featuring 20 teams competing across 55 games for the right to be crowned ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 champions.
