Mumbai: Disney Star has set a new viewership record for major sporting events with its coverage of The Championships, Wimbledon 2024. According to BARC, Star Sports’ broadcast of Wimbledon 2024 became the most-watched grand slam ever in India. The total watch time increased by 40 per cent from the previous edition, reaching a claimed 930 million minutes. The 2024 tournament attracted 36.3 million viewers, a reported 176 per cent rise from 2023. The newly introduced Hindi coverage reached 18.4 million unique viewers, contributing notably to the viewership growth in Hindi-speaking regions such as Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP/Uttarakhand, MP/Chhattisgarh, and Bihar/Jharkhand.
Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Select 2 – Disney Star’s premium sports channels for core viewers – also watched 106 minutes of the tournament on average and clocked seven per cent growth in overall watch time.
Disney Star recorded the highest ratings ever for both the men’s and women’s finals across any grand slam. The men’s singles final, featuring Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, achieved the highest rating for a men’s Grand Slam final, with a claimed 22 per cent increase in TVR compared to the previous highest. The women’s singles final between Barbora Krejcikova and Jasmine Paolini set a new record with a reported 91 per cent increase in TVR from the previous highest, making it the highest-rated women’s Grand Slam final.
Disney Star head – sports Sanjog Gupta said, “Star Sports has taken the tradition and prestige associated with Wimbledon to new viewers this year. Our production efforts entailing live coverage in Hindi, programming efforts entailing improved surround programming and highlights in Telugu and Kannada and marketing efforts entailing a consideration-driving 360-degree campaign have piqued the interest in the ‘Grandest Slam’, fuelling its growth. The enhanced viewing experience served to Tennis fans and viewers of Star Sports Select network has also fuelled a significant boost in engagement metrics.”
All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) commercial and marketing director Usama Al-Qassab said, "Broadening our audience in India is key for Wimbledon to achieve its global targets. Disney Star is a critical partner and has contributed significantly to the exponential growth of the Wimbledon brand which has never been stronger in India. We look forward to building on those results in 2025."
Indian legend and Tennis Hall of Famer, Vijay Amritraj provided expert insights on the matches and engaged with the biggest celebrities building the Indian context for the tournament including Sachin Tendulkar, Aamir Khan, Rohit Sharma, Sidharth Malhotra, and Kiara Advani. The surround programming shows like Wimbledon Daily Live, Wimbledon Daily Review, and Wimbledon Heroes witnessed a growth of 231 per cent in reach and 71 per cent in consumption compared to the previous edition. The shows and packaged highlights in Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada reached out to an additional 14 million viewers who sampled the marquee property for the first time. The gripping action on the grass courts notwithstanding, Wimbledon 2024 on Disney Star delivered a viewing experience like no other. Star Sports had six sponsors on board for The Wimbledon Championships 2024 – Jaquar, ICICI Prudential, Amul, Castrol Edge, OnePlus, and LIC.
Source:
BARC data for 2+U+R
