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 2026 shows widening gap between CTV and TV advertising trends
Ecom leads CTV with 39 per cent, 30 plus shared categories, distinct advertiser mix.
MUMBAI: If cricket is the same on every screen, advertising clearly isn’t. A new analysis by TAM Sports reveals a widening gap between Connected TV (CTV) and linear television advertising during IPL 2026, with brands and categories playing very different innings across platforms. On CTV, digital-first categories dominated. E-commerce media, entertainment and social media led with a commanding 39 per cent share, followed by e-commerce services at 11 per cent. Smartphones and cars each accounted for 6 per cent, while air conditioners contributed 4 per cent highlighting a strong tilt towards tech-led and high-consideration categories.
Linear TV, in contrast, leaned heavily into mass-market staples. Mouth fresheners topped the chart with 14 per cent, closely followed by e-commerce services at 13 per cent. Financial institutions held a 6 per cent share, while paints and e-commerce wallets each stood at 5 per cent, reflecting a more traditional advertising mix.
The divergence extends to advertisers as well. On CTV, Star India (JioHotstar) led with a dominant 39 per cent share, followed by Google at 17 per cent. Havells India, Renault India and Reliance Consumer Products rounded out the top five with smaller shares. Linear TV saw Google in the lead at 12 per cent, with Reliance Consumer Products at 10 per cent, followed by Vishnu Packaging and Havells India at 6 per cent each, and K P Pan Foods at 5 per cent.
Despite these differences, there is some overlap. The study identified 30 plus common categories and 25 plus common advertisers across both platforms, based on 22 matches analysed. Shared categories included e-commerce media, e-commerce services, mouth fresheners, paints and cars, while common advertisers featured Star India (JioHotstar), Google and Reliance Consumer Products.
Yet, exclusivity tells the sharper story. CTV saw over 20 exclusive categories and 30 plus unique advertisers, including smartphones, credit cards, fast food outlets and hotels, with brands such as Renault India, Tata Motors and Voltas featuring prominently. Linear TV, meanwhile, had 15 plus exclusive categories and 20 plus advertisers, including chocolates, jewellery, perfumes and mortgage loans, with names like Cadbury India, Skoda Auto and Amul in the mix.
The findings point to a structural shift in how advertisers are approaching big-ticket sporting events. While linear TV continues to deliver scale and familiarity, CTV is emerging as a playground for digital-native categories and more targeted brand storytelling.
In the IPL’s advertising game, it seems the format may be the same but the strategy is anything but uniform.
