Cricket World Cup 2023 becomes most attended ICC event with 1.25 million spectators

The 13th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup concluded on Sunday, November 19, with Australia winning their sixth title by defeating hosts India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 became the most attended ICC event ever with more than 1.25 million spectators turning out to watch the matches.

About 12,50,307 fans turned up to watch the World Cup 2023 matches across 10 venues in India, global body the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday. The tournament began on October and ended on November 19.

The event recorded the biggest attendance for a Men’s Cricket World Cup opening match when England faced New Zealand in a repeat of the 2019 final, followed by the most attended India against Pakistan fixture in ICC World Cup history when fans flocked through the turnstiles on October 14.

The figures surpassed the previous record of 10,16,420 spectators set at the 2015 edition in New Zealand and Australia. The 2019 edition in England and Wales saw 752,000 fans come through the turnstiles.

ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley said the one-day international (ODI) tournament had been a "great success."

"The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has been a great success, showcasing the best aspects of the game and capturing the hearts of hundreds of millions of fans across the world. The staggering attendance demonstrates the enduring appeal of cricket and the excitement the ODI format continues to offer," Tetley said.

He also thanked the fans for their contribution towards making the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 such a resounding success.

The 13th edition of the Men’s Cricket World Cup held in India also saw massive viewership on broadcast as well as digital media.

OTT platform Disney+Hotstar that streamed the World Cup 2023, for instance, logged record-breaking viewership of 5.9 crore during the India vs Australia final. "With a staggering 5.9 crore concurrent viewers tuning in on Disney+ Hotstar for the final -- almost twice as high as any peak concurrency record set before the tournament -- the unwavering support of Indian cricket fans has consistently propelled us to new heights in live sports streaming," Sajith Sivanandan, Head, Disney+Hotstar India said.  

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