'400 million viewers globally': How ILT20 is building T20 cricket’s next big media property
The ILT20 league is experiencing significant global growth, attracting nearly 400 million viewers and expanding its reach across the UK, US, Pakistan, and MENA regions, explained the competition's Head of Partnerships Ishan Chopra. Brands are increasingly engaging beyond mere visibility, integrating campaigns for measurable business outcomes. The league aims to deepen fan engagement and international partnerships for Season 5, building a sustainable premium sports property.
The International League T20 (ILT20) continues to position itself as one of the most compelling T20 properties, with Season 4 delivering significant gains in global reach and commercial maturity. Speaking on the league’s growth, Ishan Chopra, Head of Partnerships – ILT20 & Commercial Head at the Emirates Cricket Board, outlined how the tournament has scaled rapidly across both linear and digital platforms. A 400 million audience and multi-market reach From a sports business standpoint, the ILT20’s claim as the second-most watched T20 league globally is rooted in both scale and distribution efficiency.
"In Season 4, we delivered close to 400 million viewers across Linear and OTT globally, which I believe puts us firmly in the top tier of cricket properties outside the IPL ecosystem,” said Chopra in queries shared by TimesofIndia. com. India remains the primary consumption market, contributing over 250 million viewers.
However, the league’s differentiator lies in its simultaneous reach across multiple regions. “We’re simultaneously reaching audiences in the UK, US, Pakistan and the larger MENA region within the same broadcast window,” he explained. This hybrid distribution model -- combining strong linear penetration with rapidly growing OTT consumption -- has enabled ILT20 to evolve into a globally distributed media property rather than just a regional tournament.
Partnerships beyond visibility For Chopra, the true indicator of a league’s health lies in its partnerships — and ILT20’s ecosystem appears to be maturing. “We’ve seen some strong retention across our key partners. And more importantly, we’re seeing partners that actually deepen their engagement with the league year on year.