WEBDESK: The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has made history by becoming one of the most-watched cricket tournaments ever. According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), this year’s edition recorded a stunning 368 billion global viewing minutes, which is a 19% increase compared to the last Champions Trophy tournament held in 2017 in England and Wales.
The recently concluded eight-team tournament marked Pakistan’s first ICC event on home soil since 1996.
The tournament outperformed the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 by 23%, reinforcing the ever-growing popularity of the sport.
This major achievement is a proud moment for Pakistan, which co-hosted the event alongside the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Despite challenges and earlier doubts, Pakistan delivered successfully, hosting several important matches and winning praise for its upgraded venues and enthusiastic crowds.
The numbers behind the success of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
The final became the second highest-rated ODI in TV history outside of World Cup matches, drawing 230 million viewers and accumulating 53 billion minutes of watch-time across television and digital platforms. The final match between India and New Zealand, played in the UAE, became the most-watched Champions Trophy match in history after a 52% rise compared to the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy event.
While Pakistan’s national team couldn’t reach the final stages of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, local viewership still saw a 24% increase, showing the strong love and passion for cricket in the country. Meanwhile, countries like Australia saw a 65% increase in viewership compared to 2017, proving that the tournament gained more international attention than ever before.
A key highlight of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy tournament was the India-Pakistan league-stage clash in Dubai, which had the audience stuck to their seats and became one of the most-watched ODIs in India.
The high-stakes encounter generated over 26 billion minutes of watch-time on TV, surpassing the India-Pakistan match from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which had recorded 19.5 billion viewing minutes.
On the ground, Pakistan played a major role in preparing for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Major renovations were made to important stadiums. For example, Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore underwent a complete makeover and hosted four matches, including one of the semi-finals. Karachi’s National Stadium was the proud host of the tournament’s opening game.
Spread across 29 channels and nine languages, and with the return of the award-winning Indian Sign Language feed and Audio Descriptive Commentary, coverage in India across the JioStar network featured a range of inclusive innovations designed to ensure all fans could enjoy the unrivalled drama of the Champions Trophy, culminating in it becoming the most watched Champions Trophy ever in the country.
What the ICC and PCB had to say
Jay Shah, ICC Chairman, said, “We are delighted to share that the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has achieved record-breaking global viewership, making it the most-watched edition of the tournament to date. These remarkable numbers reflect the growing global appeal of the game and the strength of our partnerships.
“It’s also heartening to witness exceptional growth in markets such as Australia, where Amazon Prime Video recorded a 65% increase in viewership compared to the 2017 edition, and in the United States, where Willow TV saw a notable rise in audience figures despite challenging start times.
“These milestones are a testament to the game’s expanding footprint and the passion of cricket fans worldwide.”.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made strong efforts to ensure everything went smoothly for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Security, logistics, and fan experience were all given special attention. The successful hosting of this global event has helped boost Pakistan’s image in the cricketing world and opened doors for more international events in the future.
