A new era in Indian cricket has begun with the ongoing five-match Test series against England, led by Shubman Gill. Indian cricket’s new innings, which kicked off with a loss to the home side, was also a powerful assertion that the traditional format of the game still has much going for it.
The Headingley Test, which marked the start of this much-anticipated era and the WTC 2025–27 cycle for both teams, delivered historic numbers on JioHotstar. It recorded the highest-ever reach for a Test match on digital with 89.1 million viewers tuning in, and clocked an unprecedented 13.7 billion minutes of watch-time.
The renewed ambition to reclaim supremacy in red-ball cricket captured the imagination of fans across five languages — English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada — on JioHotstar. Reception to the new leadership and team outlook was overwhelmingly positive, with fans engaging deeply with ‘Follow The Blues’, a behind-the-scenes content series offering a daily window into training sessions and key narratives. In a light-hearted touch, JioHotstar roped in Rohit Sharma for a promo film, where he shared his tips for the five-match series.
During the live presentation, a special segment titled ‘When India Challenged the Crown’ revisited India’s rich Test legacy in England. With four Tests still to go, the series is well poised to set new benchmarks in digital sports consumption. The second Test begins on Wednesday, July 2, in Birmingham.
The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 — marking the culmination of the 2023–25 cycle — reaffirmed the enduring appeal of elite Test cricket. The high-stakes clash, which saw South Africa end their ICC title drought with a win over Australia, set new records across platforms.
It became the highest-rated, most-watched (2.95bn minutes), and highest-reach (47m) non-India Test match ever on linear TV. On JioHotstar, the match reached a record 41.4m viewers — the highest-ever for a Test match on the platform — surpassing the India vs Australia WTC Final in 2023.
Headingley Test highlights
~ 1st Test records the highest-ever reach for a Test match on JioHotstar with 89.1 million viewers and a new benchmark of 13.7 billion minutes of watch-time
~ ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 between South Africa and Australia achieves the highest-ever reach for a non-India Test match on the platform with 41.4 million viewers, surpassing the India vs Australia WTC Final 2023
TG
TVR: M15+ AB Urban
Rest: 2 + U + R All India
Source: BARC
