<p>Bengaluru: A record 51.8 crore (518 million) Indian viewers watched the recently concluded men's cricket World Cup matches on Walt Disney-owned television channels during the 48-day event, the entertainment firm said on Thursday.</p><p>Disney had bought digital and streaming rights to show the International Cricket Council's tournaments in India from 2024 to 2027 by paying around $3 billion.</p>.Record 1.25 million fans attended World Cup, says ICC.<p>Its Hotstar streaming app set a concurrent viewership record of 5.9 crore (59 million) during the final match of the World Cup, the company said in a statement.</p><p>The numbers offer some relief for the Burbank-headquartered entertainment giant's India unit, which is exploring options of finding a joint venture partner or selling its business.</p><p>It has offered free streaming of World Cup cricket on smartphones in India, part of a strategy to boost advertising revenue and offset the impact of a subscriber exodus.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: A record 51.8 crore (518 million) Indian viewers watched the recently concluded men's cricket World Cup matches on Walt Disney-owned television channels during the 48-day event, the entertainment firm said on Thursday.</p><p>Disney had bought digital and streaming rights to show the International Cricket Council's tournaments in India from 2024 to 2027 by paying around $3 billion.</p>.Record 1.25 million fans attended World Cup, says ICC.<p>Its Hotstar streaming app set a concurrent viewership record of 5.9 crore (59 million) during the final match of the World Cup, the company said in a statement.</p><p>The numbers offer some relief for the Burbank-headquartered entertainment giant's India unit, which is exploring options of finding a joint venture partner or selling its business.</p><p>It has offered free streaming of World Cup cricket on smartphones in India, part of a strategy to boost advertising revenue and offset the impact of a subscriber exodus.</p>