ITV News
JioStar says habit, not live events, is key to sports streaming growth
INMA session highlights localisation and community as drivers of audience loyalty
MUMBAI: In the streaming game, the biggest win isn’t just scoring viewers, it’s making them come back for the next match. That was the central message from Siddharth Sharma, Head of Content, Studios and Audience Engagement at JioStar Sports, who outlined the company’s playbook for building long-term audience loyalty at the International News Media Association (INMA) South Asia News Media Festival.
Sharma opened with numbers that underscore JioStar’s scale in live sports. The broadcaster recorded 72.5 million concurrent viewers during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Final, setting a new global streaming record, while TATA IPL 2026 reached more than one billion screens across the tournament.
But rather than dwell on milestones, Sharma argued that the real challenge begins after the final whistle.
“Live gets people through the door. Habit is what makes them return. Live is the moment. Habit is the business,” he said, stressing that sustainable growth depends on converting one-time viewers into regular users rather than relying solely on marquee sporting events.
He also highlighted hyperlocal and hyper-cultural storytelling as a critical pillar of audience engagement, saying that delivering content in viewers’ preferred languages and cultural contexts creates stronger loyalty than simply expanding reach.
Sharma further challenged conventional thinking around digital engagement, arguing that comment sections alone do not create communities. Instead, he said, audiences become more invested when they are made an active part of the storytelling experience, turning viewers into advocates for the platform rather than passive consumers.
The session reflected a broader shift in sports broadcasting, where success is increasingly measured not only by record-breaking viewership but also by engagement, retention and community building. As streaming platforms compete for audience attention beyond live match days, strategies centred on localisation, participation and habit formation are emerging as key differentiators in India’s fast-growing digital sports ecosystem.
