- 245,815 fans attended across 25 matchdays, a record for an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup by over 100k and triple the 2017 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup attendance in England and Wales
- The Final was the first ever women’s cricket match to generate £1million from ticket sales
- Over a third of ticket buyers were first-time cricket purchasers and 34% were women
- Most watched ICC Women’s T20 World Cup of all time with 15 million viewer hours across Sky, while three-quarters of a million tuned into BBC audio commentary online
- Half a million women and girls have already picked up a bat and ball this summer through school and club activity linked to the tournament
- Over 920,000 people caught the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup spirit through events celebrating the tournament
- Over 950k users played the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup game in Roblox
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has officially become the biggest edition in the competition’s history, with 245,815 fans attending across 25 match days, breaking the previous tournament record by more than 100,000. Alongside an average match day attendance of 9,833, it was the most watched Women’s T20 World Cup to date in the UK, with over 15 million viewer hours recorded across Sky channels.
The tournament also set a new benchmark for matchday revenue, producing the highest grossing women’s cricket match ever, with over £1million worth of tickets sold for the Final at Lord’s.
Attendance records tumbled throughout the tournament, with the highest-ever group-stage crowd surpassed three times. It was first set at Edgbaston when India faced Pakistan on 14 June (18,814), broken by England v New Zealand at The Oval on 27 June (21,018), and eclipsed again just a day later as 27,164 fans packed Lord’s for the South Africa v Bangladesh and India v Australia double-header on 28 June. The opening weekend was the biggest in the tournament’s history, drawing more than 45,000 fans and setting the tone for a landmark event.
The tournament has introduced tens of thousands of new fans to cricket, with a third of all buyers purchasing for the first time, highlighting the ability of women’s cricket to attract new audiences to the game. Female ticket buyers accounted for 34% of all purchasers, the highest across any cricket format, while junior tickets made up 19% of all sales.
Sky’s TV audience peaked at 678,000 during Sunday’s Final, with an average of 381,000 fans tuning in to England matches throughout the competition, while the BBC saw three-quarters of a million people listen to its audio commentary online across the tournament. With 15 million impressions and five million video views across BBC Sport’s social channels over the course of the World Cup and 2.1 million views of its ball-by-ball online coverage of the Final, the tournament proved it could cut through across platforms in a packed sporting calendar.
While records were shattered off the pitch, the action on it was equally historic. The tournament showcased the power, skill and professionalism that now define the women’s game, with more than 9,000 runs scored – an average of 9% more per match than the previous highest-scoring edition. Across the 33 matches, six of the ten highest ever team totals and seven of the ten highest ever successful run chases in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup history were also recorded.
The event’s impact extended well beyond stadiums, with more than 520,000 women and girls playing cricket this year through initiatives linked to the competition, and over 180 female leaders trained through dedicated programmes, helping to elevate and accelerate the grassroots growth of women’s cricket.
In addition, over 920,000 people across the country caught the spirit of the tournament through events in schools, cricket clubs and host cities, while a dedicated Women’s T20 World Cup Roblox game attracted more than 950,000 players, who spent over 95,000 hours in-game.
Tournament Director, Beth Barrett-Wild, said: “Our vision for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 was clear: to break women’s cricket into the mainstream. We wanted to deliver an unmissable event that would forever capture the hearts and minds of fans, while redefining what’s normal for the women’s game. Together with the players, host venues and cities, volunteers, partners and broadcasters, we’ve done exactly that, laying the foundations for a new era of women’s cricket.
“The reach, engagement and records broken reflect how the tournament cut through in the moment. While the half a million women and girls who’ve already picked up a bat and ball this year underlines how the impact of this World Cup will be felt long after the final ball was bowled.
“This World Cup has undoubtedly shifted perceptions about women’s cricket. The world class action on the field and the scale and status surrounding the tournament will permanently change how people think about, feel and value the women’s game.”
ECB Chair, Richard Thompson, said: “This tournament has set new standards for women’s cricket. It has delivered world-class cricket, smashed attendance and broadcast records, and enabled tens of thousands of new fans to discover a love for the game.
“We wanted this World Cup to take women’s cricket mainstream, and that’s exactly what it has done, creating new heroes and role models who will continue to inspire a new generation and fuel the continued growth of the women’s and girls’ game at all levels.
“With the first ever women’s Test at Lord’s just days away, and a packed summer of domestic and grassroots cricket still to play, I have no doubt that 2026 will be the biggest year for women’s cricket our game has ever seen.”
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has been the culmination of years of investment in women’s cricket, bringing together the world’s best players in front of record crowds, creating unforgettable moments for fans across England and Wales, and cementing the sport’s place within the cultural mainstream.
With thanks to the ECB
