Sports
Sony Pictures Networks India partners FanCode for ISL 2025–26 TV rights
SPNI gets exclusive India TV rights as ISL adopts new single-leg format
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has secured the television broadcast rights for the Indian Super League 2025–26 season, following a sublicensing agreement with digital sports platform FanCode, the league’s media rights holder.
Under the arrangement, SPNI will have exclusive television rights for the ISL in India and non-exclusive linear broadcast rights across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Matches will be telecast primarily on Sony Sports Ten 2.
The 2025–26 ISL season begins on February 14 and will feature 91 matches played under a revised single-leg round-robin format. The opening fixture will see defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant face Kerala Blasters.
The addition of the ISL further bolsters Sony’s football portfolio, which already includes UEFA Euro 2028, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League, Bundesliga, FA Cup and the Durand Cup. The network has positioned itself as the home of football in India, banking on steadily rising domestic viewership.
“This partnership reflects AIFF’s commitment to expanding the footprint of the ISL,” said All India Football Federationdeputy secretary general M Satyanarayan. “With FanCode driving digital innovation and Sony bringing unmatched television reach, fans across age groups will have easier access to the league.”
Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer and business head for sports and international Rajesh Kaul, said nearly 100 million viewers tuned into football across Sony’s sports channels in 2025. “This partnership brings homegrown football rivalries to millions while reinforcing our commitment to growing India’s football ecosystem,” he said.
FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco said the deal was aimed at maximising distribution. “By combining Sony’s television scale with FanCode’s digital-first approach, we are creating a strong multi-platform ecosystem that ensures fans don’t miss a moment,” he said.
Sports
IPL 19 TV Ad Volumes Rise 10 per cent Despite Fewer Brands
Google storms top spot as e-com services and mouth fresheners lead charge in four-match clash with IPL 18.
MUMBAI: Google has bowled a perfect googly in the IPL 19 ad arena while the batsmen chased sixes on the field, the search giant has quietly smashed the biggest boundary of all, claiming 12.67 per cent of commercial airtime and leaving rivals gasping. Overall television ad volumes for the four live matches of IPL 19 hit an indexed 109.94 compared with IPL 18’s baseline of 100, a crisp 9.94 per cent jump that proves advertisers still see cricket’s biggest stage as the ultimate pitch. Yet the numbers tell a more nuanced tale. Categories slimmed from 47 to 40 (a 14.9 per cent drop) and advertisers shrank from 58 to 43 (down 25.9 per cent), suggesting a leaner, meaner battle where the survivors are spending smarter.
The new pecking order makes for fascinating reading. In IPL 19, Ecom-Other Services surged to the summit with 13.78 per cent share, nudging out perennial favourite Mouth Fresheners (13.57 per cent). Air Conditioners (5.94 per cent), Corporate-Financial Institutes (5.69 per cent) and Paints (5.23 per cent) rounded out the top five, elbowing aside last season’s heavy hitters. Back in IPL 18, Mouth Fresheners led at 10.73 per cent, followed by Ecom-Gaming (10.62 per cent), Cellular Phones-Smart Phones (7.83 per cent), Biscuits (7.66 per cent) and Cars (6.60 per cent).
On the advertiser leaderboard, Google’s 12.67 per cent dominance is unassailable. Reliance Consumer Products (7.28 per cent) took silver, Havells India (5.94 per cent) bronze, while Vishnu Packaging (5.56 per cent) and K P Pan Foods (4.80 per cent) completed the top five. Contrast that with IPL 18, where Parle Biscuits (7.66 per cent) topped the chart, followed by Vishnu Packaging (5.92 per cent), Apple Computer India (5.52 per cent), Reliance Consumer Products (5.31 per cent) and Billion Brains Garage Ventures (4.52 per cent).
Fresh blood has clearly refreshed the mix. Nine entirely new categories and a whopping 45 new brands entered the fray. Among the debutants making an instant splash: Chocolates, Laptops/Notebooks, Range of Hair Care, Corporate-Pharma/Healthcare and Footwear. Stand-out new brands include Google Search Engine, Google Gemini, Lloyd Designer AC, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Chocolate, Hero Splendor Plus Range and Joy Hello Sun Sunblock Anti-Tan Lotion, proof that even the most unexpected players are now eyeing cricket’s captive millions.
Conversely, 16 categories sat out IPL 19, including former stalwarts Ecom-Gaming, Cellular Phones-Smart Phones, Biscuits, Airlines and Fans. The message is clear: the ad economy is evolving faster than a T20 run-chase.
So while the on-field drama delivers its usual thrills, the commercial breaks are delivering something even more compelling, a masterclass in how to turn 22 yards of grass into serious brand territory. IPL 19 has shown that when the right mix of innovation and investment meets cricket fever, the ad scoreboard lights up in ways even the most optimistic analysts might not have predicted.
