Mumbai: Even as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 draws to a close, JioCinema heralds a new era, with digital viewership surpassing TV in India for the first time for a global marquee sports event. A record 32 million viewers tuned in to JioCinema on the final day of what was arguably the most extraordinary FIFA World Cup Final, as Argentina won the trophy for the first time since 1986.
Over 110 million people watched the content on digital, making India one of the top digital viewing markets for the FIFA World Cup. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 held India's attention with a massive 40 billion minutes of watch time being clocked across Sports18 and JioCinema, which remained the No. 1 downloaded free app on iOS and Android throughout the tournament.
The app's rapid rise can be attributed to consumers' growing preference in India for watching sports on smartphones and connected TVs. JioCinema enhanced viewers' live experience with a never-before-seen Hype Mode, providing fans with exclusive offers at their fingertips during a live match. It featured a multi-camera view of the game, real-time trivia and stats, and a Time Wheel that allows viewers to relive an unforgettable moment.
The event's strong digital viewership was aided by its widespread availability on multiple OEM and CTV platforms, including Jio STB, Apple TV, Amazon Firestick, Sony, Samsung, LG, and Xiaomi, among others. For the first time, CTV viewers were able to watch the world's most prestigious football tournament in UHD 4K via JioCinema.
Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj said, “We promised to give consumers easy access to the world-class presentation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and on the back of that, the tournament became the most-watched global sports event on digital where India has not participated,”
He added, “This demonstrates the power of digital and the preference viewers and fans have shown to consume their favourite events, which will now see Paris Saint-Germain teammates and FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe and FIFA World Cup and Golden Ball winner Lionel Messi join forces in the Ligue1.”
Fans were treated to a world-class studio on Sports18, as well as JioCinema, which featured an All-Star lineup of World Cup heroes, including Wayne Rooney, Luis Figo, Robert Pires, Gilberto Silva, and Sol Campbell.
Brands that partnered with the world's most prestigious football tournament on JioCinema and Sports18 received unprecedented recall. Over 50 brands from e-commerce, banking, financial services, auto, fashion, hospitality, and fintech took advantage of the quadrennial showpiece's reach.
