Sony and JioHotstar Strike Landmark Streaming Deal for India’s England Tour

In a rare and unprecedented move, India’s two biggest cricket broadcasters—Sony and JioHotstar—have reached a groundbreaking agreement to share the broadcast rights for India’s highly anticipated five-Test series in England, beginning June 20. As first reported by Cricbuzz, this partnership sees Sony, which holds exclusive TV rights to England’s home games through 2031, sub-license the digital streaming rights to JioHotstar.

This marks the first instance of such a collaborative deal in Indian cricket broadcasting, and it reflects the growing significance of digital viewership. The agreement reportedly also covers India’s white-ball tour of England in 2026, which includes three ODIs and five T20Is. The deal was finalized after a month-long negotiation period, with the final agreement reached in the last 24 hours. While Sony retains TV broadcast rights and will air the series on the Sony Sports Network, JioHotstar will stream all five Tests live on its platform. 

“Cricbuzz can confirm that the premier sports broadcast network in the country has completed a digital deal with Sony Entertainment Network, or Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited,” the report stated. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which had previously inked an eight-year broadcast partnership with Sony, is said to have played a key role in facilitating the sublicensing arrangement. While neither Sony nor JioHotstar has officially commented yet, a joint announcement is expected later today. 

This move significantly boosts JioHotstar’s cricket portfolio, which already includes rights to Indian home matches, ICC tournaments, the ongoing IPL, and the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. With this latest acquisition, JioHotstar now firmly controls a lion’s share of India’s international cricket content. The much-awaited Test series kicks off with the first match at Headingley in Leeds on June 20, with India looking to retain the Pataudi Trophy following their dominant 4-1 home win last year. 

Also Read: Yuzvendra Chahal Ruled Out of Crucial Clash Against Mumbai Indians