Sony Defeats Jio-Star Network To Bag Asia Cup Rights Till 2031

Ind-Pak games are regular in Asia Cup (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com)Ind-Pak games are regular in Asia Cup (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com)

In a significant turn of events, the Mukesh Ambani-backed Jio-Star network has lost out on Asia Cup rights for the 2024-31 period after Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), owned by Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited, secured the rights at the base price of $170 Million for the aforementioned duration.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had the tender rolling for a couple of months with e-auction concluding today. As a result of the sale process, ACC rights have seen a hike of 70% of the overall value of the previous deal, which were sold for $100 Million during the 2016-23 period.

The deal includes all editions of the Men's and Women's Asia Cups, Men's and Women's Under-19 Asia Cups, and the Men's and Women's Emerging Teams Asia Cups. A total of four Men's Asia Cups are likely to take place, with two in the 50-over format while the other two will be T20I contests.

Each Asia Cup guarantees at least two hot-selling India-Pakistan games, with a possibility of the third in case of the final. This sums up to at least eight Indo-Pak matches during the eight-year period.

Jio-Star Might Re-win The Rights

As per the reports, current holders Jio-Star were a strong contender to re-win the rights, however, in a confusing move, it is being revealed that they stayed away from the auction at the last moment after previously deciding to enter the sale process.

Regarding the current rights package, Sony will have the right to broadcast all the games on their linear TV channels and OTT platform SonyLiv. The rights were bundled for a base price of $170 Million, which eventually turned out to be the cost for which they were picked as there was no other competitor.

The auction got underway at 11 AM UAE time and was conducted by an e-auction company named M-Junction.

Sony, who have been conservative in the past, are now the owner of England Cricket rights, New Zealand Cricket rights, Sri Lanka Cricket rights alongside the ACC rights.