CHENNAI: The Hero Hockey India League (HIL) has achieved a landmark milestone by crossing one billion social media views in just over two weeks since the start of the current season, across platforms including Meta (Instagram and Facebook), YouTube and X. With two more weeks of action still to come and the men’s HIL entering the business end of the tournament, these numbers are expected to soar.
In comparison, the previous season saw the league’s overall social media viewership touch one billion views across the entire tournament.
The 2025–26 season began on 28 December with the Women’s Hero HIL, which concluded with a thrilling final on 10 January, where SG Pipers emerged as champions. The Men’s Hero HIL commenced on 3 January in Chennai and has now moved into its second phase in Ranchi, with several high-voltage matches still to be played.
Broadcast viewership has also seen a significant uptick. After the first six matches, the HIL recorded a remarkable 37 per cent increase in TV viewership compared to the same stage last season, underlining hockey’s growing resonance with Indian television audiences.
Adding to this momentum, the HIL Governing Council made a strategic decision to grow its official YouTube channel by live-streaming matches on the platform, instead of partnering with an OTT service. This move has delivered strong results, with the Hero HIL YouTube channel recording over 80 million views in the last 28 days, while total watch time has crossed 355,400 hours during the same period.
The league’s YouTube viewership has come from across the globe, with top audiences from Argentina, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Germany, Canada, Belgium, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Africa, the Netherlands, Spain and New Zealand. Notably, 33 percent of viewers fall within the 25–34 age group, while over 20 per cent are aged between 18 and 24, reinforcing Hero HIL’s strong appeal among younger audiences.
“With several matches still remaining in the current season, the Hockey India League is confident that viewership and fan engagement will continue to grow. We thank our fans, partners, players and broadcasters for their continued support in making this season a historic success,” said HIL Governing Council Chairman Dr Dilip Tirkey.
Shri Bhola Nath Singh added, “There is still a lot of action to come with the Men’s Hero HIL entering its final phase, and we look forward to these numbers growing even further.”
Watch Hockey India League live on Sony Sports Network. The matches will also be live-streamed on Waves and the Hockey India League YouTube channel.