Australia defeated hosts India in the tournament final. (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Media giant Disney has claimed its linear domestic coverage of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) in India over October and November – through its Star Sports channels – was watched by 518 million people.

Disney said around 300 million tuned in to watch the final, which saw Australia comfortably defeat hosts India to win their sixth International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup.

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Sanjog Gupta, head of sports at Disney Star, said the final "will be the most watched event in Indian television history.”

Disney, through Star, held both linear and digital rights in India to all major ICC global events between 2015 and the end of 2023.

It offered free CWC streaming through its Hotstar service, which according to the ICC brought in a concurrent viewership of 59 million – a record – for the final. Indeed, via mobile, it offered CWC streaming for free.

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While Disney has retained streaming rights in India for the next ICC events cycle, the Zee media group holds linear rights for the 2024-27 period. That conglomerate will soon merge with Sony Pictures Networks.

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Star India, however, holds domestic rights to the India Premier League domestic Twenty20 cricket tournament and has deals in place as well with both Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The heavyweight is currently in competition for streaming audiences with to JioCinema service run by Mukesh Ambani (which holds IPL streaming rights).

In terms of in-person attendance across the 10-team tournament, meanwhile, the ICC has said that a record figure of over 1.25 million fans came to games across the 10 venues.

Indeed, the precise figure of 1,250,307 fans across the 48 games is a CWC record.