– India’s tours of England will stream live on JioHotstar over 2025 and 2026, while Sony Entertainment Television retains the television rights –
Mumbai: In a significant development for Indian cricket fans and the sports broadcasting ecosystem, JioStar and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) today announced a collaboration for India’s tours of England in 2025 and 2026. As a part of the sharing arrangement, JioStar will exclusively stream all the matches of India’s tours of England on JioHotstar including Tests, ODIs and T20 Internationals. SPNI will retain the television rights for these events for Sony Entertainment Television.
As per the agreement, the highly anticipated five-match Test series in England, starting June 20, 2025, will be live-streamed exclusively on JioHotstar. The series will also be televised on the Sony Sports Network, with Sony retaining linear broadcast rights.
This association ensures that Indian cricket fans enjoy seamless access across screens, reaffirming the growing trend of collaborative innovation in sports content delivery.
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.”
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 arrangement also includes the 2026 white-ball series, comprising three ODIs and five T20Is, to be played during India’s return tour of England.
“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,” said Gaurav Banerjee, MD and CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India.
Sony Pictures Networks India secured exclusive India rights to England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) properties in 2023 under an eight-year deal running through 2031.
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.
About JioStar:
Perched firmly at the nucleus of spellbinding content and innovative technology, JioStar is a leading global media & entertainment company that is reimagining the way audiences consume entertainment and sports. Its television network and steaming service together reach more than 750 million viewers every week, igniting the dreams and aspirations of hundreds of million people across geographies.
About Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited (formerly known as Sony Pictures Networks India):
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) is the consumer-facing identity of Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited which is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, Japan.
A leading media and entertainment conglomerate, SPNI comprises 28 Premium Channels in both SD and HD formats, including leading Hindi General Entertainment Television Channels – Sony Entertainment Television; Sony SAB and Sony PAL; Marathi General Entertainment Channel – Sony Marathi; Bangla General Entertainment Channel – Sony AATH; Hindi Movie Channels – Sony MAX, Sony MAX 1, Sony MAX 2 and Sony WAH; renowned destination for sports fans – Sony Sports Network comprising Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 3, Sony Sports Ten 4, Sony Sports Ten 5; Kids Entertainment Channel – Sony YAY!; English Movie Channel – Sony PIX; Factual Entertainment Channel – Sony BBC Earth; Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channel in the US and Canada – Sony KAL; Digital entertainment OTT platform – Sony LIV and the independent production venture for original content and IPs for TV and digital media – Studio NEXT. This Network reaches out to over 700 million viewers in India and is available in over 150 countries.
Recognised as an employer of choice within and outside the media industry, SPNI is a recipient of several awards, including India’s Best Companies to Work For 2021 by the Great Place to Work® Institute, India, Exemplars of Inclusion in AVTAR & Seramount’s Most Inclusive Companies Index 2024 and listed as one of the 100 Best Companies for Women in India for eight consecutive years by AVTAR & Seramount. In recognition of the company’s unique workplace culture and exceptional people practices SPNI won the ET Future Skills 2024 for Best Learning Program Supporting Change Transformation Business Strategy, and the TISS LeapVault CLO Awards 2024 for Best Employee Engagement Program and Best Games Based Learning Program.
SPNI is in its 30th year of operations in India. Besides having overseas subsidiaries, it has a subsidiary MSM-Worldwide Factual Media Private Limited, and an affiliate, Bangla Entertainment Private Limited in India.
