ICC in crisis as JioStar exits deal citing heavy losses:No takers for broadcast rights before T20 World Cup 2026; Sony, Amazon decline offer

Three months before the Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, broadcaster JioStar announced its withdrawal from match broadcasting. This sudden move has created uncertainty around the telecasting of cricket matches in India, especially if the ICC fails to secure a new broadcaster soon. JioStar had signed a major four-year media rights deal with ICC in 2023 for 2024–27, but the company has now informed ICC that it cannot continue due to heavy financial losses. The impact of this decision could be significant. With no broadcaster ready to step in yet, India, ICC’s largest market, faces the possibility of disruptions in coverage. ICC has started reaching out to major platforms, but interest remains low because of the high cost of rights. Why JioStar backed out of the $3 billion deal? In 2023, ICC sold all India broadcast rights for 2024–27 to JioStar (then Star India), valued at around ₹25,000 crore. This required JioStar to pay roughly ₹6,000 crore each year. However, earnings from cricket broadcasts fell sharply in the last two years. The biggest blow came from the ban on real-money gaming apps like Dream11, which had been major advertisers. With their exit, ‘advertising revenue isn’t as high as before’, making it difficult for JioStar to recover costs. The company even created financial provisions assuming the losses were unavoidable. Last year, JioStar projected a loss of ₹12,319 crore from the ICC deal. This year, the losses increased further to ₹25,760 crore. As a result, the company now wants to exit the agreement. ICC searches for new broadcaster After JioStar’s decision, ICC contacted Sony, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. However, none have shown interest yet. High pricing and limited profitability remain major hurdles. ICC has also begun a fresh sale process for India rights for 2026–29, valued at $2.4 billion, lower than the earlier $3 billion contract. But with the Indian sports media market dominated by JioStar and Sony, ICC’s choices are limited. Under the current contract, JioStar is legally bound until 2027. If no replacement is found, ‘They will have to broadcast matches even if they are incurring losses.” T20I World Cup 2026: India–Pakistan Clash on February 15 The India–Pakistan match in next year’s T20I World Cup may is scheduled to be played on February 15 at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. The tournament will start on February 7 and end with the final on March 8. Venue selection may depend on Pakistan’s qualification. If Pakistan does not reach the final, the match will be played in Ahmedabad; if they do, Sri Lanka will host the final match. Rohit Sharma led India to Championship in T20I WC 2024 India, then led by Rohit Sharma, won the 2024 T20I World Cup by defeating South Africa in the final. Five Indian venues, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai, have been shortlisted, along with three venues in Sri Lanka. ​