IPL Is Fueling India’s Mobile App Market: JioHotstar Dominates Entertainment While super.money Downloads Nearly Double

IPL Drove Cross-Platform Engagement Growth for JioHotstar, India’s Most-Downloaded Entertainment App

As the 2026 IPL season kicked off, JioHotstar emerged as one of the biggest engagement drivers across India’s digital ecosystem as the tournament’s exclusive streaming platform. According to Sensor Tower App Performance Insights data, the app climbed to #2 in India’s overall download rankings after the IPL began on March 28. Downloads surpassed 32 million during the period, up 25% PoP, while its ranking rose from 4th to 2nd — reinforcing how IPL-driven attention concentrated at scale around the platform.

Note: This analysis only includes estimated downloads from Google Play and the App Store, excluding pre-downloads, duplicate downloads, and third-party Android marketplaces.

During this period, JioHotstar launched Tadka, its new short drama offering within the main app, signaling how the platform is leveraging IPL-driven traffic to broaden user engagement beyond live sports streaming.

IPL engagement also translated into significantly higher platform activity. Average DAU grew 41% PoP following the tournament kickoff, while Average Sessions per Month surged nearly 60% PoP to 61.3 in April, showing how live match schedules continued driving repeated user visits and stronger viewing frequency throughout the season. JioHotstar also remained the clear No.1 entertainment app in India by DAU during the tournament period. 

The momentum further extended beyond app usage into broader cross-platform viewing behavior. According to Sensor Tower Web Insights data, JioHotstar saw combined mobile and desktop web traffic increase 30% PoP following the start of the tournament, rising to #3 in India’s web traffic growth rankings. Meanwhile, cricket-focused platform Cricbuzz ranked #1 in traffic growth, while the official IPL website IPLT20 ranked #5 during this period. The trend highlights how IPL-driven engagement is increasingly extending beyond apps into India’s broader digital ecosystem.

Instamart Reached Record Open Rate and Led Grocery Brands by Ad Impressions During IPL 2026

The IPL season is increasingly becoming a major commerce discovery moment across India’s mobile ecosystem. During this year’s tournament, JioHotstar announced on April 21 a signal-led advertising partnership with Swiggy Instamart designed to connect streaming audiences with commerce experiences across its IPL ecosystem.

Around the same period,Instamart also increased its digital ad spending, reaching its highest level so far this year during the week of April 20. This made Instamart the top brand by impressions, accounting for 37% of total impressions among grocery brands, highlighting the strong results of its aggressive advertising efforts to capture IPL-driven user attention.

Following the IPL kickoff, Instamart’s weekly open rate began showing strong growth momentum, reaching approximately 44% during the week of April 20 — its highest recorded open rate. 

Together, these trends are consistent with how IPL-driven engagement is increasingly extending beyond entertainment into commerce discovery, as brands use live sports audiences to strengthen visibility and deepen user engagement across digital platforms.

IPL Streaming Attention Helped Drive a Near Doubling of super.money Downloads

JioStar’s official sponsor lineup this year highlighted the growing presence of digital payment and consumer finance platforms during the tournament, showing how brands increasingly view the IPL season as a key opportunity to reach highly engaged, mobile-first audiences at scale. Among them, super.money emerged as one of the clearest breakout brands during the season.

Following the IPL kickoff, super.money downloads nearly doubled PoP, with nearly 13% of its cumulative downloads generated during this period alone.

The app also became the top digital wallet app in India by download growth , while ranking third by total downloads, reinforcing its position as one of the emerging leaders within India’s increasingly competitive digital wallet landscape.

Since the IPL season began, paid-channel downloads for super.money increased from 20% to 25%, while organic share declined. This aligned with its aggressive advertising push, with ad impressions surging 5.5x according to Sensor Tower Pathmatics data, highlighting how fintech platforms increasingly leveraged IPL-driven engagement to scale user acquisition.

The platform’s leading creatives centered around IPL match-night scenarios and cashback incentives tied to food ordering, showing how fintech apps are increasingly positioning digital payments as part of entertainment and everyday consumption behavior during large-scale live events.

The IPL is increasingly evolving beyond a sports streaming event into one of India’s largest digital engagement moments. Across entertainment, commerce, and fintech, platforms are leveraging IPL-driven attention to scale visibility, strengthen engagement, and drive everyday digital consumption behavior. JioHotstar’s momentum also highlights how large-scale live events are becoming increasingly important gateways for user attention across India’s mobile-first ecosystem.