When Pakistan and the UAE were announced as joint hosts for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, many questioned the logistics, the timing, even the impact. But the tournament proved to be a success, clearing one thing that this wasn’t just another ICC event, it was a global cricketing phenomenon.
A Broadcast Boom Like Never Before
The 2025 edition racked up an eye-popping 368 billion global viewing minutes, smashing the previous record set in 2017. That’s a 19% jump from the last edition held in England and Wales, and the highest ever for a Champions Trophy.
Want more context? Every single over during the tournament averaged 308 million global viewing minutes — the highest ever seen in any ICC event.
India’s Perfect Run Fuels Viewership Frenzy
It certainly helped that Team India, led by the ever-composed Rohit Sharma, delivered an unbeaten campaign. They knocked out defending World Cup champions Australia in a thrilling semi-final before sealing the deal against New Zealand in a high-voltage final.
That final? A viewership behemoth. 65.3 billion live viewing minutes. A whopping 52.1% increase compared to the 2017 final.
It even became the third-most watched ICC match ever globally, behind only India’s semi-final and final in the 2023 World Cup.
Accessibility + Innovation = Broader Reach
This wasn’t just about who watched — it was about how they watched. India reintroduced its award-winning Indian Sign Language feed and Audio Descriptive Commentary, opening the game up to a broader audience.
These inclusive efforts weren’t just feel-good gestures; they drove real engagement, helping the event become the most-watched Champions Trophy ever in India.
In Australia, the results were equally promising. A 65% spike in viewing hours made 2025 the most viewed edition for Aussie fans — a clear sign that cricket’s pull Down Under remains strong.
Oh, and Amazon Prime Video? Their gamble paid off. With the introduction of a Hindi language feed, they clocked their highest-ever ICC viewership numbers.
Pakistan Didn’t Win, But It Still Won
Sure, Pakistan didn’t recreate their fairy-tale 2017 title run — but don’t let that distract you. As a co-host, they delivered where it counted: audience engagement.
Viewership in the country rose 24% compared to the last edition, proving that passion for cricket runs deeper than just match outcomes.
And in markets like the United States, fans defied unfavorable time zones to deliver a noticeable increase in live viewership. That’s no small feat and speaks volumes about cricket’s growing traction in non-traditional regions.
A Word From the Top
ICC Chairman Jay Shah couldn’t have summed it up better:
“We are delighted to share that the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has achieved record-breaking global viewership… These remarkable numbers reflect the growing global appeal of the game and the strength of our partnerships.”
Hard to argue with that. The 2025 Champions Trophy wasn’t just a cricket tournament — it was a broadcast revolution. It proved that location doesn’t limit impact, that accessibility matters, and that cricket’s global heartbeat is stronger than ever.
So while the trophy now rests in Indian hands, the real win is for the game of cricket itself — more eyes, more fans, and a future that looks brighter than ever.
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