Inaugural ILT20 second most-watched cricket league in India

UAE, Dubai 14 June, 2023: The inaugural edition of the ILT20 made great waves around the world as Gulf Giants lifted the glittering trophy in the February 12 final at the Dubai International Stadium. The tournament decider was played in front of a packed stadium as the James Vince-led Giants made history by becoming the first-ever champions of UAE’s very own T20 league.

The ILT20 received a fantastic response from cricket fans around the world especially India through a quality broadcast that was available on Zee’s linear and digital platforms with commentary in English, Hindi and Tamil.

According to a research report by one of the leading global sports, sponsorship and entertainment research companies YouGov Sport, the ILT20 Season 1 was the second most-watched league in India.   

The ILT20 gained a reach of 255.4 million fans in India while the TV ratings and reach numbers for the league were 0.19.

The opening edition of the tournament became popular amongst the fans due to the high-quality performances by the biggest assembly of foreign players in any tournament, 118 international players competed in the tournament.

The event captured the imagination of the fans through the world-class broadcast including match highlights and clips that were made available for the fans not only on Zee’s linear and digital platforms but also on the ILT20’s digital platforms. 

The ILT20 2023 edition also made a mark globally with highly impressive numbers of 367 million worldwide unique viewership through TV and digital platforms.

General Secretary ECB Mubashshir Usmani: “We are delighted with our broadcast numbers for the inaugural season. The ILT20 made waves around the world including India. The support that the league got speaks volumes about the quality of cricket that the inaugural ILT20 provided to the fans. We are fully focussed on making the second season bigger and better. The ILT20 is here to stay and we have no doubt that with the support of the franchises, our broadcast partners Zee and all our other stakeholders, the league will gain more popularity.”

Zee President Business Rahul Johri: “The ILT20 season one has been a phenomenal success in India and across the world. It was watched by over 250 million viewers on linear television and digital platforms, making it the second most-watched T20 cricket league in the world.

“We are equally delighted that advertisers and distribution partners gained tremendous value from the league. We are extremely proud of our relationship with the Emirates Cricket Board and are confident of scaling bigger milestones in the following years.”

Managing Director YouGov Sport India Joseph Eapen: "We, YouGov Sport, the trusted official media evaluation supplier to a wide range of cricket leagues globally, possess comprehensive insights into the crucial success parameters of these leagues. In this regard, ILT20 has proven to be an exceptional success story right from its inaugural season, which is truly commendable.

“Notably,  ILT20 has achieved a remarkable reach of over 367m unique viewers globally of which more than 250 viewers are from India, according to BARC: a monumental accomplishment unparalleled by any other T20 league, in their first season.”

There is more to come as the  ILT20 is set to return with the second edition of the tournament from 13 January 2024. A series of exciting announcements are set to begin soon as the teams prepare for the players’ retention process while lining up potential new recruits from UAE.

Season two will also have a world-class roster of players, while the home-grown and developed UAE talent will once again showcase the cricketing skill, nous and depth that the country has to offer.