JioStar secures diverse sponsor roster for Women’s T20 World Cup

MUMBAI: A sponsorship scoreboard is lighting up before the first ball is bowled and women’s cricket is the big winner. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has not yet begun, but the commercial momentum behind the tournament is already gathering pace. JioStar, the official broadcaster and streaming partner, has unveiled a broad mix of sponsors, underlining the growing confidence brands are placing in women’s sport as both an audience magnet and a marketing platform.

Leading the commercial line-up are Google Gemini, Herbalife, Havells and Parle Products, which have come on board as co-presenting partners. The mix spans categories ranging from artificial intelligence and consumer technology to wellness and FMCG, highlighting how women’s cricket is attracting interest far beyond traditional sports advertisers.

Joining them as Associate Partners are Google Pay, Rado and Campa Energy, while adidas has secured the title sponsorship for the tournament’s pre and post-match live shows.

The sponsorship roster also marks several firsts. Adidas becomes the first global sportswear giant to partner with women’s cricket on JioStar, while Swiss watchmaker Rado enters the live cricket sponsorship arena for the first time. Campa Energy, one of the newer challengers in the beverage market, has chosen the tournament as a platform to build both visibility and cultural relevance.

The growing advertiser interest reflects a broader shift underway in the women’s sports ecosystem. What was once viewed primarily as a branding opportunity is increasingly being seen as a scalable media property capable of delivering reach, engagement and long-term value.

According to JioStar, the transformation has accelerated following India’s maiden ICC Women’s World Cup triumph in 2025, a milestone that significantly boosted the profile of women’s cricket among audiences and advertisers alike.

“Brands now view women’s sport as a marketing and growth platform,” said JioStar head of sales for Sports Anup Govindan. He noted that the arrival of brands from sectors that have traditionally not invested in women’s cricket signals a new phase of commercial maturity for the category.

The breadth of participation is particularly notable. From luxury watches and digital payments to AI platforms and sportswear brands, advertisers are increasingly treating women’s cricket as a mainstream property capable of delivering premium audiences at scale.

The tournament gets underway on 12 June, with hosts England taking on Sri Lanka in the opening fixture at 11:00 pm IST. One of the most anticipated clashes of the group stage follows on 14 June, when India face Pakistan at 7:00 pm IST.

Fans will be able to watch the action live across the Star Sports Network and JioHotstar.

As the tournament prepares for its first delivery, one trend is already clear, women’s cricket is no longer just winning matches, it is winning marketing budgets too.