The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, co-hosted by Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, has officially become the most-watched edition in the tournament’s history, setting new global viewership milestones.
With eight international teams competing, the tournament racked up an unprecedented 368 billion global viewing minutes—representing a 19% increase over the 2017 edition held in England and Wales. On average, the event attracted 308 million global viewing minutes per over, the highest ever recorded for any ICC competition.
India, led by captain Rohit Sharma, emerged victorious with an unbeaten campaign, culminating in a final win over New Zealand on March 9. The team also knocked out reigning world champions Australia in a dramatic semi-final clash.
The final drew a massive 65.3 billion live viewing minutes globally, marking a 52.1% rise compared to the 2017 final. In terms of live watch time, it is currently the third most watched ICC match ever. In India, it ranks behind only the 2023 Cricket World Cup semi-final and final in terms of viewership.
Jay Shah, the chairman of the ICC, praised the tournament’s success and credited the record attendance to cricket’s rising global appeal and expanded broadcast reach.
“This year’s Champions Trophy has set a new benchmark in global sports broadcasting,” Shah said. “The figures demonstrate the strength of our broadcast and digital partnerships as well as the widespread enthusiasm for cricket.”
Key cricketing nations including India, Australia, and Pakistan all reported record-breaking domestic figures. In India, inclusive features like Indian Sign Language commentary and audio description services helped widen the tournament’s reach, contributing to it becoming the most viewed edition in the country.
With viewing hours up by 65% from the previous tournament, Australia also witnessed a spike in involvement. The inclusion of Hindi-language broadcasts on Amazon Prime Video significantly boosted the platform’s audience during the event.
While Pakistan fell short of matching their 2017 on-field success, local interest surged, with a 24% rise in viewership. The United States also experienced a notable increase in live viewership despite less favourable broadcast timings.
All things considered, the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy demonstrated cricket’s growing popularity and capacity to enthral viewers in both established and developing nations.