Disney+ Hotstar on Wednesday said smartphone users in India will be able to watch this year's ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup for free on the OTT platform, a model they offered during the ODI World Cup and Asia Cup last year that had fetched them record viewers.
The eagerly awaited ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled to take place in the USA and the Caribbean starting on June 2. With 20 teams participating, matches will be held across three venues in the United States and six in the Caribbean.
The T20 World Cup will begin days after the conclusion of the high-octane Indian Premier League, which for sure will make cricket fans stay excited for the mega global event and millions will be watching the Men in Blue, or the Indian cricket team led by Rohit Sharma, fight for glory. India is also set to clash with arch rivals Pakistan on June 9, a match cricket fans across the globe will be watching out for.
Also, some matches such as those between Australia and England, West Indies and New Zealand at the group stages also promise to be exciting clashes and are expected to attract a large number of viewers.
Disney+ Hotstar's playbook to offer T20 World Cup for free on Hotstar isn't a first such move by broadcast companies, but what the free strategy locks in is it will have a huge volume of audience whom advertisers can then tap for wider reach.
“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," Sajith Sivanandan - Head, Disney+ Hotstar India said.
During last year's Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, Hotstar had provided both the tournaments for free on mobile, enabling it to reach new audience segments and greatly expand viewership, he added.
During the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, fans could watch matches for free on their mobile and tablets with the Disney+ Hotstar app. At its busiest, there were a whopping 5.9 crore people watching the finals between India and Australia at a single time. Disney+ Hotstar had even introduced something cool called MaxView, which let viewers watch matches vertically on phones and this time too the broadcaster is gearing up to offer more features for better viewing experience.
While Disney+ Hotstar will stream the matches on handheld devices, Star Sports is the official broadcaster on TV.
India's T20 World Cup Squad
Rohit Sharma will lead the 15-member squad, with Rishabh Pant taking charge behind the stumps. Sanju Samson has also earned a spot in the squad. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya has been named the vice-captain.
In addition to vice-captain Hardik, the team boasts all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube. Furthermore, the squad features three spinners alongside Jadeja: Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who makes a comeback after a break. Chahal's last T20I for India was against the West Indies in August 2023, while Samson and Dube last played in January against Afghanistan.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma gets Hardik Pandya as deputy. Check who got in and who missed out
When are India's matches in T20 World Cup?
India kicks off their T20 World Cup campaign on June 5th against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. It's a perfect opportunity for India to set the tone and showcase their dominance from the outset.
Following their clash with Ireland, India's attention turns to the highly anticipated match against arch-rivals Pakistan at Nassau County on June 9th. The excitement continues as they take on USA on June 12th and Canada on June 15th. The top two teams from each group advance to the Super 8s, where they will face off against other group leaders.
The Super 8s stage commences on June 19th, with the semi-finals scheduled for June 26th and 27th. The grand finale is set to take place on June 29th in Bridgetown, Barbados.
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