T20 World Cup 2026 gets major boost as ICC and JioStar to continue Partnership

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In a strong joint statement, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and JioStar have quashed speculation about the end of their blockbuster four-year, USD 3 billion media rights deal, emphasizing their unwavering commitment amid reports of potential pullout ahead of T20 World Cup 2026.

The duo addressed the buzz head-on, with the official release on Friday (December 12) declaring: "JioStar is fully committed to honour its contractual obligations in letter and spirit. Both organisations remain focused on delivering uninterrupted, world-class coverage of upcoming ICC events to fans across India, including the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, one of the sport's most anticipated global tournaments."

This comes just days after Cricbuzz reported on December 9 that disentangling the partnership-struck in 2023 to broadcast ICC's marquee events like the T20 and ODI World Cups through 2027-would prove highly impractical, especially given JioStar's investments in infrastructure and fan engagement across platforms like JioCinema and Star Sports.

The full statement clarified: "The ICC and JioStar have noted recent media reports concerning the status of the ICC's media rights agreement in India. These reports do not reflect the position of either organisation. The existing agreement between the ICC and JioStar remains fully in force, and JioStar continues as the ICC's official media rights partner in India. Any suggestion that JioStar has withdrawn from the agreement is incorrect."

Adding reassurance for stakeholders, it noted: "Preparations for these (T20 World Cup) events are progressing exactly as planned, and there is no impact on viewers, advertisers, or industry partners. ICC and JioStar, as long-term commercial partners, maintain regular communication on operational, commercial and strategic matters focused on the role the partnership can play in growing the sport."