- By Namrata Vijay
- Thu, 02 Apr 2026 06:57 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IPL 2026: JioStar has reinstated its stance as the unbeaten home of sports, as the ongoing season witnessed the biggest-ever opening weekend. On the back of more than 200 run chases during the first two matches, the first weekend of IPL 2026 has achieved new milestones in both reach and consumption on the Star Sports network and JioHotstar.
Due to these two high-scoring matches, the IPL 2026 has reached a total of 515 million viewers across linear TV and online platforms. Since both matches resulted in successful run chases, audience engagement increased, leading to a watch time of 32.6 billion minutes, 26% more than the first two matches of the last season. CTV reach increased by 30%, and concurrency rose to 61%. On linear television, the first two matches of the ongoing season saw a 24% rise in TVR compared to the last two seasons.
One of the highlights this year has been the inclusion of diverse viewing experiences, especially the CTV Hindi feed, featuring legendary players like R Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, and Irfan Pathan. By combining expert analysis with an engaging watch-along format, this feed has added a new dimension to how fans watch live cricket.
This brilliant start shows the huge scale of fan engagement across the country, with fans still using JioStar platforms to watch the IPL, proving why this is one of the biggest seasons yet.
Arun Singh Dhumal, who is the chairman of IPL, said, "The start to the season has been extremely encouraging. The combination of high-quality cricket and enhanced viewing experiences is clearly resonating with fans across the country."
“The IPL has always been about pushing boundaries, and it is pleasing to see how the league continues to set new benchmarks in both sport and fan engagement," he added.
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“Our constant effort is to build on this momentum year after year and deliver a tournament that continues to raise the bar for cricket globally. The focus remains on innovation, competitiveness, and creating an experience that connects with fans at every level," he said.
Ishan Chatterjee, who is the CEO of JioStar Sports, said, "TATA IPL 2026 has opened at record scale, with deeper engagement than ever before across all platforms. This reinforces both the unmatched scale of live cricket in India and JioStar’s position as the definitive home of cricket."
“We are seeing strong growth in reach and engagement, along with clear value and outcomes for all our partners. Live cricket continues to be the most effective environment to drive real brand outcomes at scale", he added.
“This scale and depth of engagement come from combining the strength of the large screen with the interactivity of digital, thus creating a truly immersive and personalized experience for fans. As the tournament progresses, we will continue to push the boundaries of consumer engagement and partner outcomes," he concluded.
Devaajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, revealed, "The opening weekend numbers are a strong reflection of the deep and enduring connection that fans have with the IPL."
What is especially encouraging is not just the scale, but also the quality of engagement we see across platforms. It shows that the IPL evolves with the expectations of a modern, diverse audience. Yet it still stays true to the essence of the game.
“At the BCCI, our endeavor has always been to ensure that the IPL grows in scale, quality, and reach with every season. We remain committed to making the tournament bigger and better, both on the field and in the way fans experience the game," he concluded.