The most awaited match of the Asia Cup 2022 between India and Pakistan, which took place on August 28, 2022, recorded a total overall viewership of 133 million and 13.6 billion minutes. The match nearly represented a 30% increase over the Ind-Pak match in Asia Cup 2016. Not to mention that the match between the arch-rivals became the most watched T20I match outside of the World Cup.
Moreover, the first six matches of the Asia Cup 2022 were watched by a total of 176 million* viewers.
Sanjog Gupta, Head of Sports, Disney Star said, “The record-breaking viewership for Asia Cup 2022 demonstrates Cricket’s unparalleled power to aggregate fans across platforms, enhanced by Disney Star’s focus on audience expansion. We were focused on elevating the stature of the Asia Cup as a marquee tournament and expanding the appeal of Ind vs Pak as the unmissable ‘Greatest Rivalry’.
“Our high decibel marketing campaign combined with a focus on lead-up programming and regional coverage has resulted in Ind vs Pak league match becoming the highest rated T20I ever (outside of World Cup matches). This is an ideal start to the festival of Cricket which entails bilateral series vs Australia & South Africa and is followed by the ICC T20 World Cup.”
Star Sports launched a series of activations in the run-up to the Asia Cup 2022. While the #GreatestRivalry advertising illustrated the feelings, enthusiasm, and prestige of an Indian fan, a slew of programming and amplification measures contributed to the contest’s overall fans and fervour.
“Star Sports was also instrumental in bringing two of the biggest legends – Ravi Shastri and Wasim Akram – together after almost a decade to curate a LIVE ‘Shaz and Waz’ show. Additionally, a special show ‘Virat: Heart To Heart’ featuring King Kohli became the most candid interview that the Indian legend has ever delivered,” said the network.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan have advanced to the final of the competition, the two teams will square off on Sunday, September 11 to claim the prestigious Asia Cup.