Sports
Cricket eyes global takeover as ICC’s Sanjog Gupta maps next growth frontier
Record-breaking viewership, new markets and women’s surge power the sport’s global push
DUBAI: Cricket is no longer just a subcontinental obsession; it is pitching for global dominance. And the numbers are doing the talking.
As the clock struck 9 PM on March 8, 2026, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final triggered a historic surge, clocking 72.5 million concurrent digital viewers on JioHotstar in India—a new world record. The figure eclipsed the previous global benchmark set just days earlier during the second semi-final. Three of the four most-watched streaming events globally now belong to ICC tournaments, underlining the sport’s swelling digital muscle.
Sanjog Gupta, chief executive at the International Cricket Council, calls it unmatched scale and engagement. “No other experience, whether individual or collective, user-generated or curated, real or virtual, comes close to delivering this breadth of consumer attention and depth of fan affiliation,” Gupta writes in WPP Media’s Sporting Nation report.
The digital boom is matched by physical turnout. Nearly 1.3 million fans filled stadiums across India and Sri Lanka during the tournament, with strong attendance even for matches not involving host nations. Emerging teams such as Nepal, Italy and Scotland drew record crowds, signalling both deep-rooted passion and untapped headroom.
The global footprint is widening fast. The tournament delivered over 100 per cent viewership growth in markets such as Nepal, Germany and Japan on ICC.tv, while tailored content strategies drove engagement in Italy, Brazil, Indonesia and China. On social media, the ICC generated more than 15 billion views, amplified by over 300 content creators who collectively added another three billion views, offering fans a decentralised, creator-led lens into the game.
At the heart of this push lies a clear ambition: make cricket the world’s sport of choice. That requires more than marquee events. It demands grassroots participation, digital-first fan engagement and robust commercial scaffolding.
Traditional powerhouses such as India, Australia, England and South Africa continue to anchor the sport. But Gupta is clear that the future lies beyond them. The ICC is targeting expansion across the United States, Europe and emerging Asian markets, backed by development programmes and direct-to-fan digital ecosystems.
“The globalisation of the game is not simply about geography,” Gupta notes. “It is about ensuring that wherever the game travels, it retains its spirit while adapting to social contexts and localising when it enters new markets.”
The shift is already visible on the pitch. Associate nations are no longer fringe players. Nepal, Italy and the USA have begun to command global attention, while sides such as Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe have reasserted their pedigree. These performances, Gupta argues, are not anomalies but evidence of a broadening competitive base.
Parallelly, women’s cricket is emerging as a central growth engine. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England and Wales is expected to accelerate momentum built over the past decade. India’s triumph in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 has further amplified interest, with ripple effects across markets. The ICC’s strategy is unequivocal: scale investment, expand visibility and create a pipeline of new stars.
Even as formats evolve, tradition holds firm. Test cricket, buoyed by the ICC World Test Championship, continues to anchor the sport’s legacy, while ODIs and T20Is drive accessibility and market expansion. The coexistence of formats, Gupta argues, is cricket’s unique strength, offering everything from endurance to instant spectacle.
None of this growth comes cheap. Global brands including DP World, Emirates, Aramco, Hyundai, Coca-Cola and Google are underwriting cricket’s expansion, turning sponsorship into a symbiotic engine of scale, visibility and development.
For Gupta, the direction is clear. Cricket’s future will not be defined by a handful of dominant markets but by a widening global community of players, fans and partners.
From packed stadiums in India to new builds in the United States and emerging hubs across Europe and Asia, the game is stretching its boundaries.
And if recent records are any indication, cricket is not just growing. It is accelerating towards a future where its reach is broader, its engagement deeper and its ambition unmistakably global.
Sports
Sony Pictures Networks India acquires broadcast rights for Indian Football League
SPNI strengthens its football portfolio with domestic league addition for 2025-26 season.
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has just kicked the ball into its own net in the best possible way. The broadcaster has secured the television and digital rights for the Indian Football League (formerly the I-League) for the 2025-26 season, further cementing its position as the go-to destination for football in India. SPNI’s football portfolio now boasts an impressive lineup, including the Indian Super League, Indian Football League, Durand Cup, UEFA EURO 2028, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League, Bundesliga, FA Cup, and more.
Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer and business head and sports and international Rajesh Kaul said, “The Indian Football League is an important pillar of the country’s football structure, with deep regional followings and a vital role in shaping the next generation of talent. With this acquisition, we are further strengthening our football offering and building a more complete ecosystem for fans in India.”
AIFF deputy secretary general M. Satyanarayan welcomed the partnership, “We are happy to have Sony Sports Network as the broadcast partners for the league. Last season, the title race went right down to the final day, and we hope this year it will be just as exciting. The Indian Football League has its own distinct charm, and we are confident it will live up to expectations once again.”
The addition of the IFL reinforces SPNI’s long-term commitment to growing football fandom in India by bringing fans closer to the sport at every level from grassroots domestic action to the biggest international stages.
In a country where cricket often dominates the spotlight, Sony is steadily building a full-pitch football ecosystem. With the IFL now on board, fans can look forward to a richer, more rounded football calendar, one that promises both local passion and global glamour. The beautiful game just got even more beautiful on Indian screens.
