JioStar confirmed Monday that it had secured exclusive streaming rights for India’s cricket tours of England in 2025 and 2026 from India subcontinent host broadcaster Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN).
It bears noting that SPN had in 2023 secured exclusive television and digital rights to broadcast international cricket organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Maldives under an eight-year deal running through to 2031.
As a part of the new sharing arrangement announced Monday, JioStar will exclusively stream all the matches of India’s tours of England on JioHotstar, including Tests, ODIs and T20 Internationals. SPN will retain the television rights for these events for its Sony Sports Network.
As per the agreement, the upcoming five-match Test series in England, starting June 20, will be televised on the Sony Sports Network, and live-streamed exclusively on JioHotstar.
The “sharing arrangement” also covers India’s white-ball tour of England in 2026, which includes three ODIs and five T20Is as well, ensuring JioHotstar’s digital presence for that eight-match series.
Per the official release issued by JioStar, “This association ensures that Indian cricket fans enjoy seamless access across screens, reaffirming the growing trend of collaborative innovation in sports content delivery.”
SPN MD and CEO Gaurav Banerjee noted: “We are thrilled to bring this fantastic partnership to cricket fans for India’s tour to England! Backed by the power of the Sony TV network and the digital prowess of JioStar, this first of its kind partnership will hope to redefine cricket coverage. Our deep thanks to our partners in ECB for their support.”
Commenting on the deal, JioStar CEO – Sports and Live experiences, Sanjog Gupta, added: “This collaboration is a win-win for all stakeholders involved – especially Indian Cricket fans – and serves the broader sporting landscape. The combination of JioHostar’s deep digital footprint with SPNI’s broadcast network will universalise access to India’s tours of England. As the habitual destination for Cricket viewing, JioHotstar is committed to offering millions of fans – inclusive, intuitive, interactive and immersive viewing experiences. We will continue to leverage the power of our story-telling, consumer-focused product features and connectivity to unlock infinite possibilities of serving fans on our platforms.”
The series kicks off with the first Test at Headingley, Leeds on June 20, followed by matches in Birmingham (July 2), Lord’s (July 10), Manchester (July 23) and concluding at The Oval (July 31).
The release further states: “This announcement marks a new era of synergy and scale in Indian sports broadcasting, as two of the biggest names in the industry come together to deliver unparalleled cricket experiences to audiences across digital and linear platforms.”
