ICC Champions Trophy 2025 sets new global viewership records; India vs New Zealand most-watched match in tournament history

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Wednesday the remarkable global broadcast viewership figures achieved during the unforgettable ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, which took place in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. According to an official release from the ICC, the tournament garnered an astonishing 368 billion global viewing minutes, making it the most-watched ICC Men's Champions Trophy in history. This figure represents a significant 19 percent increase compared to the previous tournament held in England and Wales in 2017.

The ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 also recorded an unprecedented 308 million global viewing minutes per over, setting a new benchmark for ICC events.

The thrilling final held in Dubai saw India triumph over New Zealand on March 9, becoming the most-watched match in ICC Men's Champions Trophy history. The final amassed an impressive 65.3 billion live viewing minutes worldwide, surpassing the previous record set during the 2017 final by an extraordinary 52.1 percent.

This exhilarating finale ranks as the third most-watched ICC match of all time in terms of live viewing time. In India, it stands as the third most-watched ICC match ever, only eclipsed by the India vs. New Zealand semi-final at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 and the final of that same tournament between India and Australia.

The coverage in India was extensive, spanning 29 channels and nine languages. It featured the return of the award-winning Indian Sign Language feed and Audio Descriptive Commentary, incorporating a range of inclusive innovations designed to ensure that all fans could experience the unparalleled excitement of the Champions Trophy. As a result, it became the most-watched Champions Trophy ever in India.

Furthermore, the event achieved the highest proportion of watch time attributed to digital sources of any ICC tournament in India. The innovative MaxView feed, developed in collaboration with the ICC, provided an intuitive and engaging mobile viewing experience, further enhancing the accessibility and enjoyment of the tournament for fans.

The tournament achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming the most-watched Champions Trophy in Australia to date, with overall viewing hours increasing by 65 percent compared to 2017. The enhanced coverage, which included the introduction of a Hindi language feed, contributed to Amazon Prime Video experiencing the highest viewership for any ICC event broadcast exclusively on its platform.

Although the hosts were unable to achieve back-to-back Champions Trophy victories, viewership for the 2025 event in Pakistan increased by 24 percent compared to the figures recorded during their triumphant 2017 campaign."

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