The Mukesh Ambani-led OTT platform logged a watch time of more than 35,000 Cr minutes during the IPL 2024
The 17th edition of IPL also saw JioCinema’s audience reach growing by more than 38%, reaching a total of 62 Cr viewers
This comes close on the heels of reports that Reliance and Disney+Hotstar have inked a deal to merge the businesses of Viacom18 and Star India
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Adding another feather to its cap, IPL’s official streaming partner JioCinema has wrapped up the 17th season of the tournament with a record 2,600 Cr views, a 53% growth compared to IPL 2023.
The Mukesh Ambani-led OTT platform logged a watch time of more than 35,000 Cr minutes during the IPL 2024, which concluded on May 26.
The season also saw JioCinema’s audience reach growing by more than 38%, reaching a total of 62 Cr viewers.
The connected TV audience expanded substantially as the 12 language feeds, 4K viewing, multi-cam views, and stadium-like experience through AR/VR and 360-degree viewing led to an average time spent touching 75 minutes from over 60 minutes last season.
Notably, the streaming platform achieved a record-breaking viewership on Day 1 of the IPL, with over 11.3 Cr people tuning in to watch the T20 match.
Further, JioCinema registered 59 Cr video views on the opening day of IPL 2024, garnering 660 Cr minutes of watch time.
The OTT platform opened the tournament on a strong note, with top brands such as Dream11, Charged By Thums Up, Parle Products, Britannia, Dalmia Cements and HDFC Bank kicking off their IPL campaigns within the first six overs of the inaugural game under the newly-launched JioCinema Brand Spotlight.
JioCinema claimed it was able to attract 28 sponsors and more than 1400 advertisers by the end of the IPL 2024 tournament.
“We conclude the TATA IPL 2024 with a promise to continue to redefine the way sports is consumed in India. The growth we are seeing year-on-year assures us that our viewer-centric presentation is engaged with and appreciated. We remain on course to make JioCinema the most sought-after platform,” a spokesperson for Viacom18 said.
This comes close on the heels of reports that Reliance and Disney+Hotstar have inked a deal to merge the businesses of Viacom18 and Star India.
The joint venture, reportedly valued at $8.5 Bn, is potentially the biggest media network in India.
Following the merger announcement, JioCinema has bagged the streaming rights for various sports tournaments, including the Paris Olympic Games 2024.
It has also beaten off competition and signed agreements with HBO and NBCUniversal to stream premium English content on its platform.
As per media reports, India’s booming OTT industry is expected to zoom more than 2X to reach a valuation of $7 Bn by 2027 from $3 Bn in 2022.
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