Free digital streaming of cricket World Cup shrinks TV viewership

The cumulative audience reach on television for the first 11 matches of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has dropped 8% to 90 million, as per BARC data for male 15+ NCCS ABC, India Urban + Rural, as consumers are increasingly turning to video streaming to watch live cricket.

In comparison, 98 million viewers tuned in to watch the first 11 matches of the ICC CWC 2019, which was hosted by England. The male 15+ is a key target audience for advertisers who buy sponsorships and spot buys for cricket matches. NCCS is the new consumer classification system that has been adopted by BARC India for the purpose of TV audience measurement.