IPL 2026 records reach of over 1.2 billion: JioStar

Connected TV emerged as the fastest-growing consumption platform with a 22% Y-o-Y growth

by e4m Staff
Published: Jun 16, 2026 7:47 AM | 2 min read

JioStar announced that the TATA IPL 2026 season became the most-watched in the league's history, reaching over 1.2 billion viewers, a 7% increase from the previous year.
The season achieved a total watch-time of 870 billion minutes, with the final match attracting over 400 million viewers, making it the most-watched TATA IPL match ever.
Digital viewership grew significantly, with connected TV usage increasing by 22% and digital video views reaching 25 billion, an 8% year-on-year rise, driven by affluent and young audiences.
CEO Ishan Chatterjee highlighted the season's focus on creating an integrated sports platform, emphasizing the importance of regional language content and community experiences in driving viewership growth.

JioStar today announced that the recently concluded season TATA IPL became the most-watched ever in the league’s history.

“TATA IPL 2026 reach soared over an astounding 1.2 billion, reflecting a growth of 7% year-on-year. The season, marked by new heroes, never-before-seen performances, and compelling sub-plots, kept viewers glued to screens as watch-time touched 870 billion minutes. The TATA IPL 2026 Final, which culminated in Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifting the trophy for a second consecutive year, delivered a viewership double, becoming the most-watched TATA IPL match ever, reaching over 400 million across screens,” stated a press release.

“The 2026 season witnessed strong growth across digital screens. Connected TV continued its rapid ascent, growing by 22%, underscoring the rapid convergence of television-scale reach with digital precision for advertisers. Digital video views reached 25 billion, marking an 8% year-on-year increase. Growth of digital was particularly fuelled by two audience segments, namely affluent consumers and young viewers, reinforcing the TATA IPL’s ability to attract premium consumers and future-facing audiences at an unparalleled scale. Regional language watch-time share went up by 33% on digital,” the release mentioned.

Speaking on the record viewership for TATA IPL 2026, Ishan Chatterjee, CEO, JioStar, Sports, said, “TATA IPL 2026 was a season where we set out on our journey of what a truly integrated sports platform should look like. Our endeavour was to make every screen, every interaction, and every moment meaningful, so that fans are not only watching sports on our platform but also interacting with it in ways that are deeply contextual and personal. The season-ending data is a testament to the efforts we made across platforms, with CTV’s communal experience and regional-language presentation becoming unprecedented growth drivers. The final outcome was yet another TATA IPL edition that opened up new possibilities for sponsors, advertisers, distribution partners, and, more importantly, the fans; none of this would have been possible without their faith and the BCCI’s unwavering partnership.”