Ambani’s big cricket bet captures record viewers for IPL final

MUMBAI, India — Ambani’s big cricket bet paid off in spades on Sunday, as the Indian Premier League final drew a record number of viewers.

The match, which saw Chennai Super Kings defeat Kolkata Knight Riders, was watched by an estimated 32 million concurrent viewers on JioCinema, the streaming service backed by Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani.

The figure is a significant increase from the previous record of 25 million viewers, set in the 2022 final. It also marks the first time that the IPL final has drawn more than 30 million viewers.

Ambani’s media venture, Viacom18, won the digital rights to the IPL for a record $2.6 billion last year. The deal was seen as a major coup for Ambani, who is looking to expand his media empire.

The IPL is one of the most popular sporting events in the world, and its popularity has only grown in recent years. The tournament is now broadcast in more than 100 countries, and it is estimated to have a global audience of over 600 million people.

Ambani’s success in securing the digital rights to the IPL is a major victory for his media venture. It is also a sign of the growing popularity of cricket streaming in India.

With the next IPL season just around the corner, it will be interesting to see if JioCinema can maintain its momentum. However, the early signs are certainly encouraging.