Disney+ Hotstar announced that the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be available to stream ‘Free on Mobile’ for smartphone users in India.
This move highlights the streaming platform’s continued efforts towards making sports more accessible to its diverse audiences. By contributing to the high energy and unwavering pride the global sports community feels towards cricket, Disney + Hotstar is not just acting as a growth vehicle for the sport but is also seeking to expand its own viewership.
“By offering the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 for free on mobile, we aim to make the game of cricket more accessible, reach a wider audience across the country and ensure that none of the sporting action is missed. No sport works as a better catalyst than cricket in bringing people together. Last year’s Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, where we offered both tournaments for free on mobile, allowed us to serve newer audience segments helping us to significantly expand viewership,” said Sajith Sivanandan – head, Disney+ Hotstar India
The OTT platform had previously offered a similar free-of-charge streaming model during the ODI World Cup and Asia Cup last year, which fetched them record viewers. Additionally, during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, streamed free on mobile via the Disney + Hotstar app, concurrency records were broken five times, reaching an all-time high with 5.9 crores during the epic finals.
The T20 World Cup is being hosted by the United States and West Indies this year and will begin on June 2, with the opening clash between USA and Canada.
