JioStar has announced that the ongoing Indian Premier League has become the most widely reached edition of the tournament so far, with combined television
and digital reach touching 1.1 billion viewers as the playoff race intensifies.
According to data shared by JioStar, the strong momentum across platforms has been fuelled by close playoff battles, rising regional language consumption, and increasing connected TV (CTV) adoption during IPL 2026.
The broadcaster said digital reach has grown by 15 percent compared to last season, while overall digital watch-time has increased by 7 percent. Connected TV consumption has emerged as another major growth area, with CTV reach rising by 25 percent and watch-time jumping 20 percent year-on-year.
Regional Language Consumption Sees Massive Jump
One of the biggest takeaways from the latest numbers is the sharp rise in regional language viewership. JioStar revealed that regional language watch-time has surged by 42 percent over last season, underlining how IPL consumption is becoming increasingly localised across India's diverse markets.
The company said the trend reflects growing demand for multilingual sports coverage and personalised viewing experiences across devices and formats.
IPL 2026 Nears 500 Million TV Reach
While digital platforms continue to grow rapidly, linear television remains a major contributor to IPL viewership.
JioStar said TV reach is still "well on course" toward the 500-million mark, reinforcing the enduring scale of traditional sports broadcasting even amid digital expansion.
The broadcaster added that the current season has maintained consistent engagement levels throughout the league phase because of the highly competitive playoff race.
With multiple teams still fighting for qualification spots, fan interest has remained high deep into the tournament.
125 New Advertisers Join IPL 2026 Coverage
The commercial side of IPL 2026 has also shown strong growth for JioStar. The network said 125 new advertisers have come on board compared to last season, highlighting the league's continued pull among brands across categories.
Out of the sponsors, 22 partnered on digital platforms while 16 joined linear television broadcasts. JioStar said the advertiser mix included both established Indian brands and new-age technology-led companies.
'Champions Wali Feed' Adds New Layer to Coverage
JioStar also credited its alternative programming initiatives for helping sustain engagement levels during the tournament.
One of the notable additions this season has been the "Champions Wali Feed", which features former cricketers and IPL stars offering tactical analysis, dressing-room stories, and live match predictions alongside the action.
The panel includes names such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan. Anup Govindan, Head of Sales at JioStar Sports, said the sustained week-on-week growth reflects how strongly IPL 2026 continues to resonate with fans across screens.
"The competitive intensity has driven a week-on-week climb in reach which shows how strongly the tournament is resonating with fans across screens," Govindan said.
He added that JioStar remains focused on delivering scale and engagement for viewers as well as advertisers during the business end of the tournament.
With IPL 2026 entering its decisive final phase, the latest figures once again underline the league's unmatched status in Indian sports broadcasting and digital entertainment.
Data shared by JioStar for 51 matches on linear TV and 57 matches on digital.
