India’s top two leading sports broadcasters, JioStar and Sony Sports Network (SPNI) have announced a partnership for India’s 2025 and 2026 cricket tours to England, which is a huge step forward for Indian cricket fans and the sports broadcasting industry.
As part of the agreement, JioStar will exclusively broadcast all Tests, ODIs, and T20 Internationals from India’s tours to England on JioHotstar. SPNI will keep the television rights for these games for Sony Entertainment Television.
According to the deal, the much-anticipated five-match Test series in England, which begins June 20, 2025, will be live-streamed exclusively on JioHotstar. The series will also air on the Sony Sports Network, with Sony keeping linear broadcast rights. This partnership guarantees that Indian cricket fans have seamless access across many screens, reinforcing the emerging trend of collaborative innovation in sports content distribution.
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.”
The series begins with the first Test on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds, then features matches at Birmingham (July 2), Lord’s (July 10), Manchester (July 23), and The Oval (July 31). The agreement also includes a 2026 white-ball series, consisting of three ODIs and five T20Is, to be held on India’s return tour of England.
Gaurav Banerjee, MD and CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India, said, “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.”
Sony Pictures Networks India acquired exclusive India rights to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) properties in 2023 in an eight-year contract that runs until 2031. This news marks a new age of collaboration and scope in Indian sports broadcasting, as two of the industry’s largest names join together to provide unprecedented cricket experiences to consumers across digital and linear platforms.
