Record-Breaking Broadcast: ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Smashes Global Cricket Viewership Milestones

By Shah Faisal 

The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 has made history, becoming the most watched edition of the tournament ever. Hosted in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, the event recorded a staggering 368 billion global viewing minutes, showing a 19% increase in viewership compared to the last tournament held in England and Wales in 2017. 

What makes this even more remarkable is the number of viewing minutes per over. The 2025 Champions Trophy averaged 308 million global viewing minutes per over, making it the highest ever for any ICC event. This shows how engaged fans were throughout every moment of the tournament. 

The final match, played in Dubai on 9 March, was a major highlight. India won the title by defeating New Zealand and lifted the iconic white jackets. This thrilling final set a new benchmark by becoming the most watched Champions Trophy match ever, with 65.3 billion live viewing minutes across the globe. This broke the previous record from the 2017 final by over 52%. 

Globally, the 2025 final is now ranked as the third most watched ICC match of all time based on live watch time. It follows only two other massive viewership events – the India vs New Zealand semi-final and the India vs Australia final from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. 

In India, the 2025 Champions Trophy final also holds the title of the third most watched ICC match ever. This shows the growing passion of cricket fans in India and around the world, as viewership records continue to be shattered.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 vs. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: A Global Broadcast Showdown
 

However, the record for most watched ICC event still lies with 2023 Cricket World Cup held in India, the World Cup amassed over 1 trillion viewing minutes, far surpassing previous records, including those of the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which achieved 368 billion viewing minutes. 

While the Champions Trophy's figures represent a 19% increase from its 2017 edition, they pale in comparison to the sheer scale of the 2023 World Cup, that saw an increase of 38% from the 2011 edition in India and by 17% compared to the previous World Cup in the United Kingdom in 2019. 

The 2023 World Cup final between India and Australia drew a record-breaking 87.6 billion live viewing minutes globally making it the most-watched match in ICC history. 
 

In contrast, the Champions Trophy 2025 final between India and New Zealand became the most-watched match in Champions Trophy history with 65.3 billion live viewing minutes, placing it third on the all-time ICC match viewership chart. 

Crucially, the World Cup’s stature as a global sporting event plays a key role in its expansive reach. With participation from more teams, a longer schedule, and broader storytelling around national pride, it consistently attracts higher TV ratings and online engagement than any other ICC event. 

The 2023 edition also led in digital consumption, with 16.9 billion video views and 1.23 billion social media engagements, reflecting a robust digital-first audience. 

The overweening record of ICC CWC 2023 should not shadow the record of ICC Champions Trophy 2025. it stands as a champion of its own realm.