Fans cheering in the stands during an IPL 2026 match. (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: IPL 2026 has recorded its highest ever audience reach, with the ongoing season crossing 1.1 billion total viewers across television and digital platforms as the play-off race dramatically moves towards the finale.According to data released by JioStar, the continued unpredictability of the tournament has helped sustain fan engagement during the league phase, driving strong growth across both linear television and digital.Makes a combined reach of 1.1 billion. IPL 2026 is the most used season in the history of the tournament. Linear TV is strong and on track to reach 500 million, while digital has emerged as a major driver of growth.Digital reach is up 15 percent from last season, with viewing time up seven percent. Connected TV has also seen rapid growth, with reach increasing by 25 percent and viewing time increasing by 20 percent.One of the prominent trends is the increase in regional viewership. Viewing time for regional language feeds increased by 42%, indicating IPL’s deep impact in markets beyond English and Hindi audiences.Anoop Govindan, Head of Sales, JioStar Sports, said that the close playoff race has played an important role in keeping the viewership consistently high.“What has stood out this IPL season has been the consistency of fan engagement during the league phase on JioStar platforms. The competitive intensity has continued to climb week-on-week, showing how strongly the tournament resonates with fans on screens.”The broadcaster also reported a sharp increase in brand participation. A total of 125 new advertisers joined this season compared to IPL 2025. Of those, 22 partnered on digital, while 16 signed up for television, reflecting the tournament’s growing appeal for both league and tech-led brands.JioStar’s “Feed with Champions” has also become a major focus. Featuring experts like Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan, the alternative feed combines live analysis, stories and predictions with match action.With multiple teams still in contention for the playoffs, each fixture has taken on added importance – a factor that has directly translated into record-breaking audience numbers.(Note: Data for 51 matches on LTV, 57 on Digital)
