All-time viewership record broken at Women's T20 World Cup 2026

The Women's T20 World Cup 2026 has achieved its goal of becoming the largest women's cricket event in history. According to a Sportstar report, a total of 471 million viewing hours were recorded across the 33 matches of the tournament, making it the most-watched ICC Women's T20 World Cup to date.

This figure represents a 156 per cent increase compared to the previous tournament in 2024, which recorded 184 million viewing hours. The most popular match of the tournament was the group stage clash between India and Pakistan played in Birmingham. With over 77 million viewing hours globally, this match has become the most-watched ICC Women's T20 World Cup match in history. Current indications suggest that this is the most-watched women's T20 match ever.

Three other matches involving India in this tournament also broke all previous records. Apart from the India-Pakistan match, Australia vs India (54 million viewing hours), South Africa vs India (51 million), and Bangladesh vs India (42 million) have secured places in the list of the four most-watched ICC Women's T20 World Cup matches so far.

The tournament also created new history in the host market. It was the most-watched ICC Women's T20 World Cup on Sky Sports, where a total of 18.2 million viewing hours were recorded. An average of 3,81,000 viewers tuned in to watch England's matches, a 69 per cent increase from the previous edition. Meanwhile, viewership peaked at 6,78,000 during the final match between England and Australia.

The impact of the tournament was not limited to viewership alone, but it also achieved significant economic success. According to an independent economic impact assessment conducted by Nielsen, the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 generated a total impact of 93.8 million US dollars for the United Kingdom (UK). This figure includes the direct and indirect economic impact generated for the host cities as well as media value. Additionally, more than 13,000 full-time and part-time jobs were created or supported in the UK during the event.

Separate research by Nielsen also revealed the social impact of the tournament. Out of 500 parents of girls aged 7 to 15 included in the survey, 81 per cent stated that the tournament helped change the perception that cricket is only a men's game. Similarly, 73 per cent of 500 women aged 16 to 30 agreed with this sentiment.

Furthermore, 81 per cent of parents of young girls said that this increased their daughters' interest in joining cricket clubs or academies. Meanwhile, 80 per cent believed that this tournament would have a positive impact on women's sports in England.

Reacting to this success, ICC Chairman Jay Shah said, "The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 has made a powerful statement about the future of women's sport. This tournament has delivered record crowds, viewership, reach and engagement, and has proven what is possible when women's cricket is given the right platform, investment and trust."

He further added, "This is not the end point of our ambition; but it is the platform for what comes next. The ICC will continue to invest in women's cricket, increase opportunities, strengthen pathways and take the game to more fans, more communities and more markets across the world. The success of this tournament gives us more confidence in the future we are building."