Regional-language feeds become cricket’s impact player as JioStar launches Beyond Boundaries

MUMBAI: Cricket is no longer spoken in just two languages. JioStar has launched “Beyond Boundaries”, an initiative that brings advertisers closer to the growing and highly engaged regional-language cricket audience through live cricket feeds and pre and post programming (PPL) partnerships. The announcement was made in Mumbai on October 6, 2026.

The numbers explain the move. Cricket consumption in regional languages is becoming an increasingly significant part of how audiences experience the game, with strong engagement on digital. During TATA IPL 2026, Kannada feed reach went up by 30 per cent year-on-year, while Telugu and Tamil showed an uptick of 23 per cent and 12 per cent respectively on JioHotstar. The digital watch-time share of Telugu grew the fastest of the three markets at 30 per cent, followed by Kannada and Tamil.

The shift runs deeper than a language toggle. The growth reflects the continued evolution of cricket consumption beyond Hindi and English, with audiences increasingly engaging with the tournament through feeds that combine the scale of live sport with language and cultural relevance.

Each regional feed has built its own programming identity around the home franchise in that market, with commentary and shows built to reflect the fandom of each state. For TATA IPL 2026, this included dedicated formats such as Cricket with Chai and Orange O Rangu on the Telugu feed, Kempu Sainya and Inside RCB on the Kannada feed, and match-day content built around the “Ini Singapathai” narrative on the Tamil feed. Segments spotlighting emerging young talent ran across all three markets.

The line-up of voices is formidable. The regional-language experience was anchored by a commentary panel of over 160 voices across 12 languages, with former players and regional experts fronting coverage in each market. The Tamil feed’s panel included Murali Vijay and L. Balaji, alongside former Sri Lanka cricketer Russel Arnold and RJ Balaji. The Telugu feed featured Hanuma Vihari and MSK Prasad, while the Kannada panel included Vinay Kumar and Veda Krishnamurthy. That reflects JioStar’s tailored approach of building each regional feed around recognisable, market-specific voices rather than a single national commentary team.

The wider season was strong too. The 2026 season witnessed strong growth across digital, with Connected TV reach growing by 22 per cent, underscoring the rapid convergence of television-scale reach with digital precision for advertisers. Digital video views reached 25 billion, an increase of 8 per cent year-on-year. Regional-language watch-time share went up by 33 per cent on digital.

Anup Govindan, head of sales, sports, JioStar, puts the opportunity in plain terms. “The growth of regional-language cricket reflects how cricket consumption in India is evolving,” he says. “Audiences aren’t just watching in greater numbers; they’re choosing to experience the game in languages and environments that feel familiar to them. For brands, that matters because it opens up a deeper way to participate in cricket across markets. The real opportunity is in understanding what makes each audience and market distinct and building around those nuances rather than viewing regional consumption purely through the lens of scale.”

The direction of travel is clear. As regional-language feeds continue to draw large audiences across platforms, they represent a growing part of the sports ecosystem, giving audiences, advertisers and partners more ways to engage with cricket across India’s diverse markets. For JioStar, the growing consumption across languages points to a broader shift in the sports viewing landscape, where regional-language feeds are increasingly becoming an important part of the cricket ecosystem rather than simply an extension of the main broadcast.

The analysis is simple. Advertisers have long bought cricket by the million. Beyond Boundaries invites them to buy it by the dialect, with home-team fandom, local voices and a measurable audience attached. In a league built on impact players, the regional feed has just earned its place in the starting eleven.