Sony bags exclusive rights to India’s T20I tour of Ireland 

MUMBAI: Cricket never sleeps, and neither does Sony’s chequebook. Sony Pictures Networks India has snapped up exclusive television and digital rights to Team India’s upcoming tour of Ireland, slotting yet another live cricket property into a portfolio that already groans under the weight of international fixtures. The two T20I matches will run exclusively on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV, putting Team India’s white-ball exploits on Irish soil within easy reach of fans back home.

The deal is less about a marquee blockbuster and more about relentless coverage. Sony Pictures Networks India is deepening its grip on premium live sport, padding out a year-round cricket offering that already leans heavily on multi-nation tournaments and bilateral series, and the Ireland leg gives fans something to watch between the big-ticket events rather than waiting for the next World Cup or Asia Cup to roll around.

The squad heading to Ireland mixes seasoned heads with fresh faces. Shreyas Iyer leads the side, with Tilak Varma as his deputy, and the touring party includes Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna and the keenly watched batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Coverage will run with expert analysis and commentary across English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, alongside what the broadcaster is billing as an immersive viewing experience on both television and digital.

Rajesh Kaul, chief revenue officer and business head for sports and international at Sony Pictures Networks India, framed the acquisition as part of a broader play for year-round dominance, saying the deal reinforces the network’s commitment to delivering high-quality cricket content throughout the year and strengthens its position as a premier destination for live sport. On the other side of the agreement, Sarah Keane, chief executive of Cricket Ireland, has reason to be just as cheerful: she pointed out that India’s last visit to Ireland in 2022 produced the most-watched sporting event ever staged in the country, and she’s hoping this series matches or beats that while showing off the ground at Stormont in Northern Ireland to a global audience.

For Sony, it’s one more tile in an already sprawling cricket mosaic that spans the Asian Cricket Council, England and Wales, New Zealand and Sri Lanka cricket boards, sitting alongside football, UFC, WWE and a clutch of domestic Indian leagues. Ireland may be a small stop on the calendar, but for a network chasing eyeballs every single week of the year, there’s no such thing as a fixture too minor to own. Every ball, every boundary, every wicket — Sony wants it all, and increasingly, it’s getting it.