India’s maiden Women’s ODI World Cup win did more than fill the DY Patil Stadium – it stopped traffic on screens across the country. JioHotstar confirmed 185 million unique users for Sunday’s final against South Africa, the same figure the app logged during the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup decider. A further 92 million watched on connected televisions, again level with the men’s mark.
“It’s the clearest sign yet that women’s cricket is now mainstream viewing,” said media-rights consultant Amrit Mathur. He pointed to the tournament’s overall digital reach of 446 million in India, higher than the combined total of the previous three editions.
The growth was obvious earlier in the competition, when the India–Pakistan group match on 5 October pulled 28.4 million online viewers – then a record for a women’s international. Even that was dwarfed by Sunday’s traffic surge.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who lifted the trophy after India’s five-wicket win, paid tribute to the home crowd. “When you walk out and hear that noise, you feel 10 feet tall,” the captain said. “We wanted to give them something to remember, and the girls delivered.”
South Africa’s skipper Laura Wolvaardt was gracious in defeat. “We pushed hard, but India were better in the decisive moments. The atmosphere was incredible – you almost forget it’s an away game.”
Inside the ground, all 39,555 seats were taken. Former Australia batter Lisa Sthalekar, on commentary duty, called it “the loudest women’s match I’ve ever worked on”.
Analysts believe the numbers will encourage sponsors and broadcasters alike. “Advertisers used to see women’s cricket as a bolt-on,” said sports-marketing researcher Priya Menon. “Now it’s a standalone property with scale.”
The challenge, Mathur warned, is consistency. “Peaks are brilliant, but the game needs a strong calendar to keep audiences coming back. The BCCI and ICC have the tools – it’s about stitching them together.”
For now, India’s players and supporters can enjoy a rare double: a world title on the field and record figures off it. Women’s cricket, long talked up as ‘the next big thing’, may finally have arrived.
