ICC approaches SPNI, Netflix, Amazon to take over media rights as JioStar seeks exit

Amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) media rights arrangement with JioStar, the global cricketing body has approached Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to explore a potential takeover of the deal. This development comes as JioStar informed the ICC of its intent to withdraw from the agreement ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next year.

Sources confirmed to e4m that ICC has formally reached out to these platforms after JioStar, holder of the 2024–2027 media rights valued at 3 billion USD, indicated it may no longer be able to sustain the contract.

Given the tight timelines, experts believe a mid-cycle switch appears highly challenging. “They have to find someone by February before the T20 World Cup. It looks tough, and they may eventually renegotiate and continue with JioStar at a lower price,” a senior industry insider said.

Before this cycle, ICC had awarded Star Sports the global broadcast rights for all ICC events from 2015 to 2023 through a competitive tender process. That partnership covered exclusive live and highlights rights across major events—including the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Women’s World Cup, ICC World Twenty20, ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. Star Sports, previously part of ESPN Star Sports until 2015, also handled global syndication, ensuring distribution across more than 220 territories and reaching an estimated audience of 1.5 billion.

The current turbulence follows JioStar’s notice to the ICC expressing its inability to continue the remaining two years of the 3 billion USD rights cycle ending in 2027. As a result, ICC has initiated parallel efforts to find new partners and has reportedly begun a fresh rights process for the 2026–2029 cycle, valued at approximately ₹2.4 billion.