TATA IPL 2026 sets new viewership record for JioStar; company claims it has crossed reach of 1.2 billion
ADVERTISEMENT
JioStar has closed the 19th edition of the TATA IPL with record audience numbers, the company said on Monday, reinforcing the tournament’s position as India’s biggest media and advertising property and signalling the increasing convergence of television and digital consumption.
The media company said cumulative reach for TATA IPL 2026 crossed 1.2 billion viewers across platforms, up 7% year-on-year, making it the most-watched season in the league’s history. Total watch time reached 870 billion minutes, while the season finale became the most-viewed IPL match ever across screens, it said.
The final, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured their second consecutive title, reached more than 400 million viewers—according to JioStar—underlining the enduring ability of the tournament to create mass audiences at scale despite a rapidly fragmenting media landscape.
What is driving audience growth?
A key trend emerging from the season was the accelerated rise of connected television (CTV), which grew 22% year-on-year to become JioStar’s fastest-expanding consumption platform. The growth reflects a broader shift in viewer behaviour, where premium households increasingly combine television’s large-screen experience with digital interactivity.
Digital engagement also continued its upward trajectory. Video views touched 25 billion during the season, an 8% increase over last year, with affluent consumers and younger audiences driving much of the growth, JioStar said. Regional language content emerged as another strong lever, with regional watch-time share on digital platforms rising 33%.
The performance also translated into stronger advertiser interest. JioStar added 125 new advertisers compared with the previous season, the company said. Commercial partnerships remained robust, with 22 sponsors associating with JioHotstar and another 16 partnering with Star Sports Network.
Commenting on the season’s performance, Ishan Chatterjee, CEO, Sports, JioStar, said the company’s focus was to redefine what an integrated sports platform could look like.
“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 fans were not just watching sport but interacting with it in deeply contextual and personal ways,” Chatterjee said.
JioStar introduced multiple viewing innovations this season, including coverage in 12 languages, multi-camera experiences, 30 content feeds and “Champions Wali Commentary”, while technology integrations with OpenAI and Swiggy aimed to create more personalised fan engagement and contextual brand participation.
With the IPL concluded, JioStar’s sports calendar now shifts to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 and India’s white-ball tour of England beginning in July.