8.3M views, 165M-minutes watched: Coldplay concert on Hotstar breaks records
What's the story
It's no surprise that British rock band Coldplay's recent concert in Ahmedabad, India, set a new viewership record on Disney+ Hotstar. The exclusive live stream of the event received a whopping 8.3 million views and raked in 165 million minutes of watch time during its three-hour-long broadcast on Sunday (January 26), per Variety. The performance, marking Coldplay's and India's largest concert ever, was held at Narendra Modi Stadium and drew an impressive crowd of over 1.34 lakh attendees.
Historic event
Coldplay's concert marked a milestone for Disney+ Hotstar
The concert was a historic moment in India's entertainment scene as it was Disney+ Hotstar's first music livestream. The livestream's success was especially felt in seven major regions, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, NCR Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, which contributed to 85% of the total viewership. The platform also improved the viewing experience with Dolby 5.1 audio quality.
Executive insights
Disney+ Hotstar's commitment to live entertainment
Sanjog Gupta, CEO of sports at JioStar, expressed his satisfaction with the event's success. He stated, "At Disney+ Hotstar, we specialize in delivering compelling and immersive coverage of large-scale live events." Kiran Mani, CEO of digital at JioStar, echoed this sentiment by emphasizing their vision to empower viewers across the country with unmatched entertainment at an unprecedented level. "The overwhelming response to Coldplay's Music of the Spheres livestream is a testament to our commitment to democratizing access to premium experiences."
Event highlights
Coldplay's concert featured local talent and special dedications
The concert also saw performances by local talent Jasleen Royal, and Shone and Elyanna, who later joined Coldplay on stage for a collaborative rendition of We Pray. These opening acts were not live-streamed on Disney+ Hotstar. The evening also saw cricket star Jasprit Bumrah in attendance, with frontman Chris Martin dedicating a special performance to the fast bowler.