KARACHI (Kashmir English): The ICC Champions Trophy 2025, held in Pakistan and the UAE, had global 368 billion viewing minutes and is a 19 per cent increase from the last edition hosted in England and Wales (2017).
The last edition of the Champions Trophy was in 2017, where Pakistan defeated arch rivals India in the final at The Oval by 180 runs. The 2025 Champions Trophy was Pakistan‘s first ICC event played on their home soil since 1996.
Pakistan undertook renovations and building works at stadiums across the country, and phenomenally completed renovations at Gaddafi Stadium; those at the 2025 venue took longer.
The tournament was played in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi, with Gaddafi Stadium hosting four games (including one semi-final), whilst the tournament began in Karachi.
The final on 9 March, held in the UAE, featured India and New Zealand and became the most watched Champions Trophy match of all time, amassing 65.3 billion watching minutes globally for a live match, which was a 52.1 per cent increase from the 2017 final.
Despite not being the high expectation for Pakistan‘s performance, viewing hours within the host nation were up 24 per cent, whilst the honours of the most watched Champions Trophy in Australia had the viewing hours up 65 per cent from the previous edition.
