‘Belief, progress and pride!’: Mithali Raj hails record-breaking viewership for Women’s WC final

New Delhi: The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 final set a new record in viewership, marking the beginning of a new chapter in women’s cricket. Former India cricketer Mithali Raj expressed pride, describing it as ‘an exciting new era’ for women’s cricket.

JioHotstar announced that the summit clash drew a remarkable 185 million users to the app, matching the viewership of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Final. Moreover, an additional 92 million watched the historic event on Connected TV (CTV), equaling the CTV viewership numbers of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Final and the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup Final.

Additionally, Harmanpreet Kaur’s final catch to win the match attracted a peak viewership of 21 million.

“The numbers speak of belief, progress, and pride! 185 million tuned in to the 2025 Women’s World Cup Final in India, matching the viewership of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup Final. Grateful to @ICC and @JayShah Sir for their leadership and efforts in taking the tournament to new heights. I feel proud to say that this is just the beginning of an exciting new era for the sport,” Raj wrote on X.

Playing in front of a full house at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, India became the first team from the subcontinent, and the fourth overall, to lift the Women’s World Cup.

The home team defeated a strong South African side by 52 runs in the summit clash to secure their first-ever victory in any ICC tournament final as they made their third final appearance in the 50-over tournament’s history.

Furthermore, the global cricketing board also confirmed that the next edition of the Women’s ODI World Cup, scheduled for 2029, will feature 10 teams, marking a significant step in the tournament’s expansion and international reach. The decision, approved by the ICC during its meeting in Dubai on Friday, aims to provide more opportunities for emerging nations and strengthen the competitive landscape of women’s cricket worldwide.

“The ICC reaffirmed its commitment to the growth of Women’s Cricket and heralded the success of ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India as testament to its long-standing faith in the Women’s game. Nearly 300,000 fans watched the event in stadia, breaking the record for tournament attendance for any women’s Cricket event.”

“The tournament also witnessed viewership growth and new records being set for on-screen audiences across the world, with nearly 500 million viewers in India. The ICC board, keen to build on the success of the event, agreed to expand the next edition of the tournament to 10 teams (from 8 teams in 2025),” said the ICC in its statement.

IANS