India vs Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup broke viewership records (Images via AP & Getty Images)

The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 has started with record-breaking viewership, highlighting the growing popularity of women’s cricket. According to data from the ICC and JioHotstar, the first 13 matches of the tournament reached over 60 million viewers, a five-fold increase from the 2022 edition.Total watch-time surged to 7 billion minutes, up twelve times from the previous tournament.The India vs Pakistan clash on October 5 set a new benchmark, becoming the most-watched women’s international cricket match ever. The match reached 28.4 million viewers and generated 1.87 billion minutes of watch-time. Another highlight came during India’s game against Australia on October 12, which recorded 4.8 million peak concurrent viewers on JioHotstar, another all-time high for women’s cricket.Television ratings also reflected the surge in interest. The India vs Pakistan match became the highest-rated league-stage game in ICC Women’s ODI World Cup history. The first 11 matches, including India’s encounters with Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and South Africa, delivered a combined reach of 72 million viewers, marking a 166% increase from the previous edition. Viewing minutes rose 327% to 6.3 billion – a staggering number.

Coverage of India’s matches is being broadcast in multiple languages, which include English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, with an Indian Sign Language feed also available for the first time, highlighting a commitment to inclusive access.The ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 continues to set new benchmarks for women’s cricket, with fan engagement and record-breaking audiences pointing towards a bright future for the game in India and beyond.