Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 becomes India's most-watched away Test series

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 6 (ANI): The Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 has delivered unprecedented viewing figures on the JioStar network with TV viewership growing by 74 percent compared to the previous edition of the series in Australia, according to a release from Star Sports.
The India-Australia rivalry, branded the toughest rivalry by the JioStar network, has hit a new high with the series in 2024-25 becoming the second most watched away test series for the Indian team on Television.
The series was watched by 192.5M viewers on TV, recording 52 billion minutes of total watch-time across television and digital platforms. Despite the sub-optimal match timings due to the time-difference, this series also became the second most watched test series on Indian Television (including India's home and away test series) with the No.1 spot also belonging to this rivalry with the BGT trophy in 2017.
The five-language live broadcast of the series which produced cinematic moments of cricket, dramatic performances by cricketers from both nations, intense competition throughout and culture-defining events, captivated the attention of fans and registered an impressive 49 per cent increase in Television watch-time compared to the 2020 edition, the release added.
The viewing experience was enhanced with a meticulously selected line-up of Indian experts including Cheteshwar Pujara, Irfan Pathan, Sunil Gavaskar, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Vijay and Ravi Shastri, combined with key Australian voices such as Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer, and Matthew Hayden.
"We are proud to have institutionalised 'The Toughest Rivalry' as a unique descriptor of India-Australia matches. After the success of establishing 'The Greatest Rivalry' as the universally accepted nomenclature for India-Pakistan clashes, this was the next step in 'eventification' of another key rivalry. The coverage of BGT 2024-25 also demonstrated our commitment to delivering a world class on-screen sporting experiences to millions of fans. From a brand-new design package to the advent of new cameras, we strived to provide a deeply immersive experience to sports fans. We are proud that our Hindi coverage garnered appreciation from the Indian diaspora across the world and are grateful to Cricket Australia for their trust and collaboration, which has been instrumental in bringing 'The Toughest Rivalry' alive in such a spectacular manner," said Sanjog Gupta, CEO Sports, Jio Star on Star Sports was quoted in a Star Sports release as saying.
"We're extremely grateful to our broadcast partners who provided world class coverage by producing iconic images and insightful analysis throughout the summer. That 192.5 million viewers watched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series on Jio Star in India again demonstrates cricket's ability to reach vast international audiences and the enduring global interest in Test cricket," said Nick Hockley, CEO, Cricket Australia. (ANI)