ICC looks for new media partner as JioStar plans exit: Report

As per the report, ICC has approached other platforms, including Sony Sports, Netflix and Amazon Prime, for managing the media rights

by e4m Staff
Published: Dec 8, 2025 9:28 AM | 2 min read

Ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, JioStar has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it wants to exit the three-year media rights agreement because of financial losses, the Economics Times has reported.

According to the report, Reliance Industries-controlled JioStar has told ICC that it cannot continue for the remaining two years of the $3-billion contract, which ends in 2027, leaving ICC to look for other media partners.

As per the ET report, ICC has approached other platforms, including Sony Sports, Netflix and Amazon Prime.

e4m has reached out to JioStar and will update the copy once we get the responses.

The report said ICC has also begun a fresh process for 2026-2029 for approximately Rs 2.4 billion.

As per Reliance Industries' latest annual report, JioStar, the Reliance–Disney joint venture, has seen its provisions for onerous sports contracts leap to a staggering ₹25,760 crore in FY 2024–25 more than double the ₹12,319 crore set aside just a year earlier.

The jump is rooted in the company’s admission that revenue from these long-duration rights deals may fall short of covering their costs.

Even with this hefty financial buffer, the broadcaster clocked out a skinny standalone profit of ₹18 crore, marking a cautious rebound from the ₹12,548 crore loss reported in FY 2023–24.

Advertising, subscriptions, and syndication helped revenues climb modestly to ₹21,044 crore from ₹20,097 crore, while operating costs remained steep at ₹17,826 crore.

As per the annual report, JioStar commands an estimated 34% share in television entertainment and over 85% in sports viewership.

Just before the merger of Reliance and Star India, the latter had in August 2024 requested a renegotiation on the $3 billion media rights deal for the 2024-27 period with the ICC.

Star had sought a renegotiation of its contract as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, held in the US and the West Indies to promote cricket in new regions, reportedly saw fewer Indian viewers due to inconvenient match timings.