In a joint statement released today, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and JioStar have firmly dismissed recent media reports suggesting a potential split in their broadcasting partnership in India. The organizations have reaffirmed their commitment to the existing media rights agreement, which runs through 2027, stating that JioStar remains the ICC's official media rights partner in India.
The clarification comes in response to reports that JioStar, a merged entity of Disney Hotstar and Reliance's Viacom18, was seeking to exit the $3 billion deal due to financial constraints. These reports indicated that the ICC had begun exploring alternative broadcast partners for the 2026-2029 cycle, approaching companies like Sony Pictures Networks India, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix.
However, the joint statement unequivocally refutes these claims. "The existing agreement between the ICC and JioStar remains fully in force, and JioStar continues as the ICC's official media rights partner in India," the statement asserts. "Any suggestion that JioStar has withdrawn from the agreement is incorrect".
JioStar has also affirmed its dedication to fulfilling its contractual obligations. "JioStar is fully committed to honour its contractual obligations in letter and spirit," the statement continues. Both the ICC and JioStar have emphasized their focus on delivering uninterrupted, world-class coverage of upcoming ICC events to cricket fans across India. These events include the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, one of the sport's most highly anticipated global tournaments.
The statement also sought to reassure viewers, advertisers, and industry partners that preparations for upcoming events are progressing as planned and will not be affected by the recent speculation. The ICC and JioStar, who describe themselves as long-term commercial partners, maintain consistent communication regarding operational, commercial, and strategic matters, highlighting the importance of their partnership in promoting the sport.
While reports had suggested that JioStar was facing financial pressure and looking to reduce losses from sports contracts, the company's commitment to the ICC partnership appears firm. JioStar notably holds domestic broadcast and streaming rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in deals worth $6 billion, as well as global rights to Indian cricket in a separate five-year agreement.
The reaffirmation of the ICC-JioStar partnership ensures that Indian cricket fans will continue to have access to major ICC events through JioStar's platforms. It also provides stability to the ICC's financial outlook, as India accounts for a significant portion of the organization's revenue. The partnership is set to run through 2027, guaranteeing coverage of one major men's international event annually.
