JioHotstar bags digital rights for India’s England tour; Sony retains TV broadcast | Cricket News
In a big development for Indian cricket fans, JioHotstar has secured the exclusive digital streaming rights for India’s upcoming five-Test series against England. The marquee series, which kicks off on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds, will now be available live on JioHotstar’s digital platform. The agreement comes as part of a sublicensing deal with Sony Entertainment Network.As per Cricbuzz report, the deal, which had been under negotiation for nearly a month, was finalised in the last 24 hours. While JioHotstar will stream the matches digitally, Sony retains the television broadcast rights and will telecast the series on its Sony Sports network.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Though neither party has issued an official statement yet, an announcement is expected later today. The partnership is also understood to extend into the 2026 white-ball tour of England, which will feature three ODIs and five T20Is.Who’s that IPL player?Sony had acquired the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) broadcast rights for the Indian market last year in an eight-year agreement running through 2031. The ECB reportedly played a key role in facilitating this digital sublicensing arrangement with Jio and Star.
Commenting on the deal, Sanjog Gupta, CEO – Sports and Live experiences, JioStar, said: “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-focussed product features and connectivity to unlock infinite possibilities of serving fans on our platforms,” he said.
Following the opener at Leeds, the remaining four Tests will be played at Edgbaston (July 2), Lord’s (July 10), Old Trafford (July 23), and The Oval (July 31), setting up a high-stakes battle in the World Test Championship cycle now accessible to fans across both TV and digital platforms.
