The ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has become the biggest in the tournament’s history in terms of audience reach, with broadcaster JioStar saying cumulative viewership across digital and television platforms has crossed 1.06 billion screens so far this season. 

The milestone marks a 7% jump over last year and underscores how the IPL continues to remain India’s largest live entertainment and advertising property, even as audience consumption rapidly shifts towards digital and connected television platforms.

The company said average match reach for IPL 2026 has risen to 277 million viewers, up 6% from the previous season. The tournament is currently being streamed on JioHotstar and broadcast across the Star Sports Network in over 12 languages and more than 20 feeds. 

Why is connected TV emerging as the fastest-growing platform for IPL? 

A key trend emerging this season is the sharp rise in connected TV (CTV) consumption, reflecting the growing preference among Indian audiences to watch live sports on larger screens through smart televisions and broadband-enabled devices. 

According to JioStar, CTV reach has grown 26% year-on-year while consumption on the platform has increased 20%. In a sign of how quickly viewing habits are evolving, the broadcaster said IPL 2026 had already matched the total connected TV reach of the previous season by the time the tournament reached Game 45.

The rise of affordable smart TVs, bundled telecom offerings, and improvements in streaming quality are accelerating premium sports viewing inside Indian homes, turning digital streaming into a living-room experience rather than a mobile-only format. 

JioStar has also introduced alternate programming formats to deepen engagement. Its “Champions Wali Feed”, featuring former Indian cricketers such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan, has been positioned as an expert-led analysis feed aimed at increasing viewer stickiness. 

Why does television continue to remain the biggest reach driver for IPL?

Despite the rapid growth in streaming, linear television continues to remain central to IPL’s scale story. JioStar said TV reach at the current stage of the tournament is already in line with last season and is expected to cross 500 million viewers by the end of the edition. 

The simultaneous growth of both TV and digital highlights how the IPL has evolved into a multi-platform media ecosystem rather than a zero-sum battle between broadcast and streaming. 

The scale of the tournament is also attracting a wider advertiser base. JioStar said 22 sponsors have partnered with JioHotstar on the digital side, while 16 sponsors have signed on for television broadcasts through Star Sports Network. The broadcaster also added 125 new advertisers compared to last season, including both legacy consumer brands and technology-led startups. 

Anup Govindan, Head of Sales, Sports at JioStar, said the ongoing season was outperforming previous editions across metrics. “The scale we are witnessing today is unprecedented, with over a billion screens already engaged. What stands out is not just the growth in reach, but the depth of engagement across platforms, especially the rapid acceleration of Connected TV,” he said. 

How is IPL strengthening its position as India’s biggest media property? 

The latest numbers further cement the IPL’s position as the country’s most valuable sports and entertainment asset, at a time when media companies are increasingly betting on live sports to drive advertising revenues, subscription growth, and user engagement. 

For JioStar, the performance of IPL 2026 is particularly significant as the company continues to integrate its television and streaming businesses into a unified sports ecosystem. The broadcaster’s strategy of combining mass-reach television with personalised digital experiences appears to be paying off, especially among younger and premium audiences. 

With the tournament now entering its final stretch and playoff race intensifying, broadcasters and advertisers alike will be closely watching whether IPL 2026 can end as the most-watched edition in the league’s history