Hyderabad: A record number of 15.5 million watched the fiercest group stage match of the ICC World Cup Tournament 2019.
This is twice the number of New Zealand’s population. As the match progressed, the numbers went on increasing and peaked in the final overs of the Indian innings, when around 15.5 million were watching on a private streaming app.
“We can’t have a television in hostels, so we are completely dependent on the streaming apps. I have taken a subscription and am sharing with another friend so that we can share the charges,” said Manish Tiwari, a student.
Mr M. Afzal, a taxi driver, remembering his old days, said, “I am in the cab driving business for the last 20 years and I have never missed a single India-Pakistan match. Earlier, it used to be radio which has been replaced by mobile TV apps.”
When asked about the increase in numbers of mobile streamers, Ms Himabindu Chintakunta, a communication researcher, said, “The popularity of digital streaming has been facilitated by cheap data and affordable smartphones.”
According to the latest studies, 1 GB data costs around Rs 18 in India, making it the cheapest in the world.
