With a reach of 161 million views, a staggering 46 per cent of which being women viewers, Zee Entertainment has announced that the DP World ILT20 league continues to be the world’s second most watched franchise-based cricket competition.

The tournament garnered an impressive reach of 161 million for its first 18 matches, 56 per cent of the audience being under the age of 30, according to data released by BARC INDIA 2+, TV+OOH, and LIVE+PPL, according to a PTI report.

The company has reported an uptick of 12 per cent among 15+ urban audiences in India compared to the inaugural edition.

The time spent on the league, which started on January 19, has surged by an impressive 33 per cent among viewers aged 15 and above in urban India.

“This substantial increase in viewing duration emphasizes the league’s ability to captivate and retain the attention of its audience, contributing to a more immersive and rewarding viewer experience,” said the league’s media rights holder ZEE in a statement, according to the PTI report.

The tournament, with six teams and 34 matches, is being played across three venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

The league’s six franchise teams include Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Kolkata Knight Riders), Desert Vipers (Lancer Capital), Dubai Capitals (GMR), Gulf Giants (Adani Sportsline), MI Emirates (Reliance Industries) and Sharjah Warriors (Capri Global).

Some of the world’s leading cricketers are taking part in season two and they include David Warner, Dasun Shanaka, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sam Billings, David Willey, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Alex Hales, Tom Curran, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, James Vince, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Dwayne Bravo, Trent Boult, Chris Woakes and Martin Guptill.

“We are delighted with the response that the second edition of DP World ILT20 has garnered. It is a testament of the league’s expanding appeal and a growing fan base across India.

“The event is escalating global enthusiasm for cricket, and we take immense pride in spearheading this phenomenon,” said Rahul Johri, President – Business, South Asia, Zee Entertainment.

The star-studded commentary panel of ILT20 include Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Rohan Gavaskar, Saba Karim, Nikhil Chopra, Vivek Razdan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar, Alan Wilkins, Simon Doull, Daren Ganga, Danny Morrison and Niall O’Brien, Natalie Germanos, Anjum Chopra, Reema Malhotra.

Cricket fans can watch all the action of the T20 league on Zee’s 10 linear TV channels and OTT platform ZEE5.