MUMBAI: The first four matches from the 2018 World Cup Russia, telecast on Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3 and Sony ESPN channels and livestreamed on SonyLIV app & website, broke viewership records across football properties in India in the first two days of the opening week, data provided by the network reveals.
Key Viewership Highlights:
2018 FIFA World Cup Russia opened with a cumulative reach of 47.3 million viewers in its first 48 hours
Over 41 million viewers watched followed the World Cup on TV and over 6 million viewers live on SonyLIV
Source: (BARC, All India, CS2+, live matches, Highlights, surround programming of FIFA World Cup)
19.3 million people tuned in to watch the opening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia
Top Markets: Kerala, West Bengal, North East and Maharashtra
45% of the viewership was contributed by women
The tournament saw extremely high engagement with an average TSV of 39 minutes
Source: (BARC, All India, CS2+, live matches)
The viewership of 2018 World Cup Russia has surpassed all other football properties, both domestic and international in India. Various initiatives taken by Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) to ensure exceptional viewing experience has led to the unrivalled success of the first four matches.
Rajesh Kaul, president, Distribution and Sports Business, SPN noted: “This is a significant moment for football fans in the country, as we see a tournament with no Indian representation break viewership records. It is truly exciting to be a part of the transformation that this beautiful game is going through in India. Our efforts into ensuring expansive reach through the regional language feeds has yielded excellent results. We are going to keep the momentum going as the tournament picks up pace.”
