Just two months before the T20 World Cup 2026 in India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been hit by an unexpected challenge. Reliance Industries–owned JioStar has informed the governing body of its intention to withdraw from its media rights agreement, despite two years still remaining on the four-year contract.
According to the Economic Times, the exit is driven by mounting financial losses, adding pressure to an already volatile media rights landscape. JioStar’s financial challenges were reportedly compounded by the nationwide ban on real-money gaming earlier this year, which significantly impacted advertising and revenue projections.
With the deal set to run until 2027, JioStar’s departure has pushed the ICC to reopen the bidding process for India media rights for 2026–29. The council is seeking roughly $2.4 billion for the cycle-lower than the $3 billion valuation of the 2024–27 rights, which included one major men’s ICC event each year.
In a bid to secure a broadcast partner quickly, the ICC has approached Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. However, early responses have indicated muted interest, primarily due to pricing concerns and broader market caution. This leaves the ICC in a tight spot with no firm contenders as of now.
With the T20 World Cup scheduled to begin in February 2026, the ICC faces a race against time to finalise a new media partner and ensure uninterrupted coverage of one of cricket’s biggest global events.
