Viacom18 Sports

What Viacom18 Sports does

Viacom18 Sports is the sports broadcasting and streaming division of JioStar, the joint venture between Reliance Industries and Disney formed in November 2024 to consolidate their Indian media operations. The division operates the Sports18 linear television channels and the JioCinema and JioHotstar streaming platforms, holding exclusive media rights to India's most-watched sporting properties — including the Indian Premier League (digital rights acquired for ₹23,758 crore / $3.05 billion for 2023-2027), International Cricket Council events (~ $3 billion through 2027), the Women's Premier League ($116 million over five years), FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and the 2026 Winter Olympics. The combined TV and streaming footprint reaches over 800 million weekly viewers, with JioHotstar alone reaching 300 million subscribers by June 2025.

Name

Viacom18 Sports

Legal name

Viacom18 Media Private Limited

Website

https://sports18.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Viacom18 Sports is the sports broadcasting arm of JioStar (Reliance-Disney JV) in India, operating Sports18 TV channels and JioHotstar/JioCinema streaming platforms to deliver exclusive IPL, ICC, WPL, FIFA, and Olympics content to over 800 million weekly viewers and 300 million streaming subscribers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Broadcasting & Media

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Streaming Distribution & App Platforms (CTV, Mobile, Web) (MPAKAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sports Streaming Platforms (MPAKAOAA), Sports FAST Channels & Free Ad-Supported Streaming (MPAKAOAD), International Sports Broadcasters & Rights Networks (MPABAJAE)

Keywords

• Sports broadcasting
• Live sports streaming
• Sports media rights
• Cricket broadcasting
• Sports content distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: Viacom18 generated over ₹300 crore (approximately $36–40 million) in ad revenue through deals with over 50 brands during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. IPL 2025 generated ₹6,000-7,000 crore in advertising revenue.
2. Digital Streaming Subscription: JioHotstar streaming service reached 300 million subscribers by June 2025, monetizing through premium subscriptions and pay-per-view content.
3. Media Rights Acquisition and Sub-licensing: Viacom18 acquired IPL digital rights for ₹23,758 crore ($3.05 billion) for 2023-2027 cycle and WPL media rights for $116 million for five years. Rights are sub-licensed to other broadcasters and streaming platforms.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Viacom18 Sports operates the Sports18 linear television network and the JioCinema/JioHotstar digital streaming platforms to broadcast and stream live sports content — primarily IPL cricket, ICC tournaments, FIFA World Cup, Women's Premier League, and Winter Olympics — to Indian audiences. It acquires premium sports media rights through bidding processes and monetizes the content via advertising sales to enterprise brands and subscription fees on JioHotstar. The business is part of JioStar, the Reliance Industries-Disney joint venture formed in November 2024.

Product overview

JioStar operates as a unified platform-plus-channels architecture consisting of JioStar streaming platform (reaching 800M+ weekly viewers), Sports18 TV channels, JioHotstar (300M+ subscribers), JioCinema, and the JioStar App. These products collectively deliver sports content (IPL, WPL, FIFA World Cup, Winter Olympics) and entertainment across television and digital streaming. The portfolio was consolidated following Disney's merger with Reliance's Viacom18 in November 2024, unifying previously separate streaming and broadcast operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sports18: Sports television channels broadcasting cricket, football, Olympics, and other sporting events.

Products and services

• Sports18 Linear television channel network broadcasting live sports content (IPL, FIFA World Cup, ICC tournaments, Winter Olympics, WPL) to Indian audiences across multiple Sports18 channel feeds. Targeted at Indian sports viewers consuming content via cable and DTH.
• JioHotstar Unified premium streaming service combining Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema following the November 2024 JioStar merger. Streams IPL, ICC events, and other sports content to 300 million subscribers (as of June 2025) across mobile and web, monetized through subscriptions and advertising.
• JioCinema Free ad-supported digital streaming platform that streamed FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to 110 million unique viewers and generated over ₹300 crore in ad revenue. Targeted at mass Indian audiences seeking free access to premium sports content.
• JioStar Streaming Platform Flagship unified streaming service delivering sports, entertainment, and consumer content across devices, reaching over 800 million weekly viewers through its combined television network and streaming platform.
• JioStar App Mobile and web application providing live streaming of major sports events including 2026 Winter Olympics (116 medal events across 16 disciplines), IPL, and other JioStar-licensed properties to Indian consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 110 million unique digital viewers during FIFA World Cup 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• IOC (International Olympic Committee)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Viacom18 broadcast the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina on Sports18 channels and JioStar app/website, covering 116 medal events across 16 disciplines.
• Reliance Industries and Disney (merged to form JioStar)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Disney and Reliance merged their Indian media operations into JioStar in November 2024, creating India's largest media conglomerate. Disney Star held IPL TV rights (₹23,575 crore) while Viacom18 held digital rights (₹23,758 crore). The merger unified all IPL rights under JioHotstar, reaching 300 million subscribers.
• WPL (Women's Premier League)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Viacom18 paid $116 million for five-year WPL media rights. The Women's Premier League has achieved remarkable success with five franchises fetching $572 million in total value.
• BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022Viacom18 acquired IPL digital media rights for ₹23,758 crore ($3.05 billion) for 2023-2027 cycle, the first time digital rights exceeded TV rights in Indian sports. This was part of the record ₹48,390 crore IPL media rights deal.
• FIFAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Viacom18 secured media rights for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 for approximately $60–62 million (₹450 crore), streaming matches free on JioCinema and airing on Sports18.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DAZN: Global sports streaming subscription service operating in multiple markets. Comparable business model (DTC sports streaming + advertising + rights acquisition) and demonstrates the unit-economics challenges of pure-play sports streaming at scale.
• Reliance Jio: Parent ecosystem player (Reliance Industries subsidiary) providing telecom and broadband distribution infrastructure for JioStar content. Comparable as integrated content-plus-distribution model in Indian digital media.
• Netflix India: Global streaming incumbent operating in India. While not sports-focused, competes for entertainment streaming wallet share and advertising dollars, and is reportedly exploring sports content acquisition globally — a potential future rights competitor.
• ESPN (Disney): Parent Disney's flagship sports brand. Comparable as a linear TV + streaming sports broadcaster with rights acquisition at scale. Provides benchmark for international sports broadcasting economics and rights inflation dynamics.

Emerging players

• Apple TV+ Sports: Tech-major sports streaming entrant with MLS Season Pass and growing investment in live sports rights. Represents potential disruptor as tech giants increasingly compete for premium live sports content globally.
• Amazon Prime Video Sports: Tech-major entrant into sports streaming with Cricket Premier League rights in India and global sports content. Represents the strategic threat of well-capitalized digital platforms bidding for premium Indian sports rights.
• FanCode: India-focused sports OTT platform owned by Dream Sports. Specializes in niche sports (football, basketball, kabaddi) and offers pay-per-view and subscription models for sports content, providing differentiated competition in the streaming layer.

Direct peers

• Disney Star India: Now merged with Viacom18 into JioStar, Disney Star was the prior holder of IPL TV rights (₹23,575 crore) and operated the Hotstar streaming platform. Direct overlap in cricket broadcasting and OTT distribution before the November 2024 merger.
• Zee Entertainment Enterprises: Direct competitor in Indian TV broadcasting and streaming. Counterparty in the failed $1.5B IPL sub-licensing deal now in $1.097B LCIA arbitration. Operates Zee5 streaming platform and competes for premium content rights.
• Sony Sports Networks (Culver Max Entertainment): Operates Sony Sports TV channels and SonyLIV streaming platform in India. Direct competitor for cricket and international sports rights, including prior ICC rights holder status and competing bids for major sports properties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Sports18Official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Viacom18 Sports