JioStar terminates Bangladesh IPL, WPL sub-licence deals over payment defaults

A cross-border media rights dispute has surfaced in Bangladesh after JioStar India Pvt. Ltd. terminated its sub-licence agreements for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women's Premier League (WPL), citing persistent payment defaults by its counterparty.

According to people familiar with the matter, JioStar has ended its agreements with Dubai-based Excel Lead IT Solutions FZ-LLC, the holding entity of Bangladesh sports broadcaster T-Sports. The contracts pertained to digital media rights for IPL and WPL in Bangladesh for the 2023–27 cycle.

The agreements were originally signed between Viacom18 Media Private Limited and Clifford Commodity DMCC, before being novated in favour of Excel Lead. These arrangements allowed the Bangladesh partner to commercially exploit streaming rights for both leagues across the territory.

Dues unpaid despite access to matches

In early January 2026, JioStar formally issued demand notices to Excel Lead seeking clearance of outstanding dues related to the IPL 2025 and WPL 2025 seasons. Despite being granted full access to match signals and the ability to monetise the properties, the dues allegedly remained unpaid even after the contractual cure period lapsed.

Following the continued default, JioStar exercised its termination rights under the agreement. This has resulted in an automatic reversion of all licensed rights back to the company.

Sources said JioStar has now demanded payment of all outstanding amounts, along with overdue interest and associated costs, calculated from the respective due dates until realisation.

Broadcast halt ordered; infringement warning issued

Post-termination, Excel Lead and its affiliate T-Sports have been directed to immediately cease any broadcast, streaming, promotion or commercial exploitation of IPL and WPL content in Bangladesh.

JioStar has also warned that any continued use of the rights would amount to unauthorised exploitation and could invite legal action for infringement of its proprietary media rights.

The company is currently evaluating further legal remedies, including seeking interim and injunctive relief, to prevent any continued unauthorised usage and to safeguard the commercial value of the properties.

Separate arbitration against Gazi TV affiliate

In a parallel development, JioStar has initiated arbitration proceedings against Green Bean Sports Marketing, an affiliate of Gazi TV, over a separate sublicensing arrangement for IPL television rights in Bangladesh.

The dispute relates to the 2023–27 rights cycle, under which signals for the IPL 2023 and 2024 seasons were duly delivered. However, subsequent contractual breaches and payment issues led to termination of the agreement in January 2025.

Following the termination, JioStar invoked arbitration under the dispute resolution clause, seeking enforcement of its contractual rights and recovery of dues.

Recovery push and wider industry implications

An industry executive aware of the developments said JioStar remains confident of securing relief through judicial and arbitral processes and is pursuing full recovery of dues, including interest and litigation costs.

The executive added that the company is unlikely to soften its stance until complete recovery is achieved.

Industry observers said the dispute highlights a growing trend of stricter enforcement of sports media rights contracts in South Asia, as premium cricket properties such as the IPL and WPL continue to command high valuations and intensifying competition among broadcasters and digital platforms.

The developments also underscore the risks embedded in cross-border sublicensing deals, particularly in emerging markets where monetisation and payment cycles remain volatile.