The numbers surpassed the previous record high concurrent viewership of 5.3 crore, recorded in the semifinal of the tournament played between India and New Zealand on November 15.

Notably, the streaming platform offers free viewership of the World Cup matches in non-HD format. The move comes months after rival Jio Cinema streamed the matches of Indian Premier League (IPL) for free.

Track live score and updates of India vs Australia, World Cup final

The milestone of 5.3 concurrent viewers has been recorded by Disney+ Hotstar at a time when reports are claiming that Walt Disney is considering various strategic options regarding its India business. The options on the table include a joint venture or sale, as the company looks to reduce costs and help the business to grow, the Wall Street Journal reported in July.

Disney CEO Bob Iger, during an earnings call on November 9, said that the company would like to stay in India, even as it continues to explore its options. “In India, our linear business actually does quite well. It’s making money. But we know that other parts of that business are challenged for us and for others, and we are looking, I’ll call it expansively. We’re considering our options there,” he said. 

“We have an opportunity to strengthen our hand. It is maybe the most populous country in the world, or just still second to China and about to pass them. We’d like to stay in that market. And we also are looking to see whether we can strengthen our hand, obviously, improve the bottom line,” Iger added.

Meanwhile, the Indian team was bowled out on 240 runs by the Australian side in the World Cup final. The Aussies, chasing a target of 241, was batting at 75/3 in 14.2 overs at 7:26 PM. The viewership is expected to peak further if the match goes down the wire.

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Updated: 19 Nov 2023, 07:27 PM IST