iWorld
Amazon Prime Video India forays into live sports with New Zealand Cricket rights
KOLKATA: In its latest move, Amazon Prime Video has announced its first foray into live sports in India, with the acquisition of India territory rights for New Zealand Cricket through 2025/26. With this announcement Amazon Prime Video becomes the first Indian streaming service to secure exclusive live cricket rights from a major cricketing board.
Under the multi-year deal between Amazon and the New Zealand Cricket Board, Prime Video will become the one-stop streaming destination for all international cricket matches to be played in New Zealand for both men’s and women’s cricket, across ODI, T20 and Tests starting late 2021. The deal includes Team India’s tour of New Zealand in early 2022, and a second tour, the dates for which will be announced later. The rights for 2020-2021 season starting later this month is intended to be syndicated by Amazon.
The Indian men’s cricket team receives unrivalled support and unites fans across the entire country. With two highly-anticipated tours of the Indian team to New Zealand, over the next 6 years, cricket fans in India are in for a treat! The New Zealand men’s cricket team, also known as the Black Caps, enjoys world-wide popularity and is ranked No.3 in ODI and No. 2 in Test Cricket by the International Cricket Council.
“Over the last few years Amazon Prime Video has become the go-to destination for world class entertainment in India – be it our Amazon Original Series or the biggest blockbuster movies across languages,” Amazon Prime Video director & country general manager Gaurav Gandhi said.
“We are excited to add India’s most loved game – Cricket – to our content selection for our Prime Video customers, and we are thrilled to work with New Zealand Cricket on this endeavor as they have a strong, passionate and much-loved cricket team, and the cricketing rivalry between the two countries has been fantastic. We are happy to make this collaboration with New Zealand Cricket our first live sport offering in India, and are confident that our Prime members will be delighted with this initiative,” Gandhi added.
“This partnership with Amazon Prime Video is massive for NZC – we’re delighted and proud to be teaming up with such a famous and successful brand. As we’ve said before, the future of live sport is streaming and in Amazon Prime Video we have a partner right at the center of the industry; innovative, trend-setter and well-known for putting fans and subscribers first,” New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said.
“One of NZC’s key goals is to extend our teams’ global reach and to build closer relationships around the world and, in terms of that particular objective, we don’t think we could be in better hands. India has always been important for viewership of NZC; no other country follows cricket like India, so it’s exciting to be announcing this agreement with India’s leading streamer,” he added.
The Indian territory New Zealand Cricket rights package is the latest in Prime Video’s growing line-up of live sports around the world including Thursday Night Football, the Premier League, ATP Tour Events, WTA, the US Open (tennis), UEFA Champions League, Autumn Nations Cup (rugby), and the Seattle Sounders FC. Fans can also subscribe to streaming services such as Eurosport, MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, and PGA TOUR LIVE through Prime Video Channels. This in addition to a selection of popular docuseries for sports fans, including The Test: A New Era for Australia’s Team, which follows the Australian men’s cricket team during the 2018/2019 season, and Emmy-winning Amazon Original All or Nothing, among many others.
iWorld
Prime Video bets big on India with global originals, films and franchise expansion
Execs highlight scale, travelability and new IP bets as India anchors global strategy
MUMBAI: At Prime Video Presents 2026, the message was clear and confident. India is not just part of the plan, it is central to it.
In a lively fireside chat hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, Kelly Day, vice president of prime video and amazon mgm studios international, Nicole Clemens, vice president of international originals, and Gaurav Gandhi, vice president for Apac and Anz, laid out an ambitious roadmap. Think bigger stories, wider reach and a sharper focus on building franchises that travel.
Kelly Day, a regular visitor to India, set the tone early. Calling the country “one of the most important markets globally”, she pointed to the sheer scale and diversity of audiences as a driving force behind Prime Video’s growth. Indian Originals, she said, are not just local hits but global engines powering subscriptions and engagement.
That global appeal is already visible. According to Clemens, around 25 percent of viewership for Indian content now comes from outside the country. Shows rooted deeply in local culture are finding fans worldwide, proving that specificity, when paired with universal themes, travels well. From gritty dramas to sharp thrillers, Indian storytelling is increasingly crossing borders with ease.
Clemens, who joined recently to lead international originals, was particularly upbeat about India’s creative range. She highlighted a growing slate of over 100 shows in development and production, with more than 60 percent returning for multiple seasons. For her, the formula is simple. Authentic stories, told well, resonate everywhere.
Adding to the buzz, she teased new and returning titles, alongside a fresh superhero universe, the Kalyug Warriors. It signals a push into new genres while doubling down on familiar fan favourites.
If content is king, distribution is the clever courtier. Day outlined Prime Video’s layered business model in India, which blends subscription, rentals, add on channels and ad supported viewing through Amazon MX Player. The idea is straightforward. Give viewers choice, whether they want premium, free or pay per view.
India, she noted, has also become a testing ground for innovation. Tiered pricing, mobile only plans and language diversity have all been sharpened here before being exported to other markets. In many ways, the India playbook is now influencing global strategy.
For Gaurav Gandhi, the next chapter is about scale with intent. He outlined four priorities. Making Prime Video more accessible, pushing Indian content globally, building stronger franchises and supercharging the films business.
On films, the platform is moving beyond licensing into co productions and now theatrical releases in partnership with amazon mgm studios. These films will eventually stream on Prime Video, creating a full circle from cinema halls to living rooms across 240 countries.
Franchise building remains another key pillar. With hits like The Family Man, Mirzapur and Panchayat already enjoying multi season success, the focus is now on creating the next wave of enduring IP. Newer titles are already lining up for second seasons, signalling a steady pipeline.
What stood out through the conversation was a shared belief. Streaming in India is still in its early innings, and the runway is long. With a mix of local flavour and global ambition, Prime Video is betting that stories from India will not just stay at home, but travel far and wide.
Or as the executives seemed to suggest, the world is watching and India has plenty more to show.
