Star India, a dominant pay-television broadcaster in the country, will provide free-to-air (FTA) coverage of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 franchise cricket tournament for the first time.
The Disney-owned broadcaster will show 12 matches on its FTA channel Star Utsav Movies.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Since acquiring IPL rights five years ago, Star has only aired games on its pay-TV network.
Star is understood to have made the move to offer FTA games to increase its viewership and advertising revenue with hopes of attracting major brands.
It follows a similar move by Viacom18, the Indian media and entertainment heavyweight, which will reportedly stream IPL games for free.
See Also:
In last year’s IPL media rights auction for the 2023-27 cycle, Star retained domestic TV rights while Viacom18 secured digital rights.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThis marked the first time the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) governing body had sold separate packages.
In total, the BCCI sold four packages for $6.2 billion.
Disney held streaming rights during the previous IPL cycle, covering the action on that front through the Hotstar service.
The 2023 IPL season begins on March 31 and run until the end of May.
