The number of video viewers for the IPL weekend eclipsed what was recorded across the entire last season of IPL on digital platforms.
 
                Photo Credit: IPL
Gujarat Titans beat Chennai Super Kings by five wickets in the opening match of TATA IPL 2023
 
            
            The broadcasting joint venture of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries said on Monday its JioCinema app saw a record 1.47 billion digital video views on the opening weekend of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, as well as 50 million mobile app downloads.
The number of video viewers for the IPL weekend eclipsed what was recorded across the entire last season of IPL on digital, said Viacom18, which is part of Network18 – the media unit owned by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance.
Viacom18 won digital streaming rights from 2023 to 2027, for 237.58 billion Indian rupees ($2.89 billion), which Disney previously held.
On the other hand, Disney-owned Star India which is the official TV broadcaster of the IPL, the world's richest cricket league, said it saw a total of 8.7 billion minutes of consumption on television for the opening match on Friday between defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.
A peak attendance of 16 million viewers was recorded on JioCinema during the match, Viacom18 said.
The landscape for content consumption has increasingly moved "to digital and JioCinema performance this week is the biggest evidence of it," Viacom18 Sports Chief Executive Officer Anil Jayaraj said in a statement.
Disney Star said in a separate statement that it was witnessing "continuing dominance" of linear Television as the preferred platform for uninterrupted viewing of live cricket.
The comments indicate heated rivalry between Reliance and Disney, which are aiming for a major slice of advertisement revenue at a time when channels are seeing increased spending to push viewership, with advertisers cutting back on spending due to an inflationary environment.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
 
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.
 SpaceX Revises Artemis III Moon Mission with Simplified Starship Design
                            
                            
                                SpaceX Revises Artemis III Moon Mission with Simplified Starship Design
                            
                        
                     Rare ‘Second-Generation’ Black Holes Detected, Proving Einstein Right Again
                            
                            
                                Rare ‘Second-Generation’ Black Holes Detected, Proving Einstein Right Again
                            
                        
                     Starlink Hiring for Payments, Tax and Accounting Roles in Bengaluru as Firm Prepares for Launch in India
                            
                            
                                Starlink Hiring for Payments, Tax and Accounting Roles in Bengaluru as Firm Prepares for Launch in India
                            
                        
                     Google's 'Min Mode' for Always-on Display Mode Spotted in Development on Android 17: Report
                            
                            
                                Google's 'Min Mode' for Always-on Display Mode Spotted in Development on Android 17: Report