Sports
Sony Pictures Networks India strikes broadcast deal with LIV Golf for 2026 season
The agreement gives the rebel golf league television and streaming reach across South Asia and Central Asia, covering 14 events in 10 countries
LIV Golf has found a powerful new ally in India. Sony Pictures Networks India has struck a broadcast partnership with the rebel golf league for its 2026 season, bringing live coverage to audiences across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the Maldives, a market of staggering scale that the league has been eyeing for years.
Under the deal, Sony will carry comprehensive live coverage of all 14 LIV Golf League events across Sony Sports Network on linear television and Sony LIV on its premium OTT platform. The 2026 season spans 10 countries and five continents, and Sony’s coverage has already begun, having kicked off with LIV Golf South Africa in Saudi Arabia from March 19 to 22. The season culminates with the Aramco LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship from August 27 to 30.
The agreement also sits alongside Sony’s existing 2026 broadcast deal for The International Series, co-sanctioned by LIV Golf and the Asian Tour, which provides a pathway for professional and amateur golfers into the LIV Golf League and the Majors. Taken together, the two deals give Sony and its audiences access to the full LIV Golf ecosystem, from emerging talent to the sport’s biggest names.
That roster is formidable. Subscribers can follow Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann, Dustin Johnson, Sergio García and Tyrrell Hatton, among others, competing across 13 teams over 72-hole, four-round events played with LIV’s signature shotgun start, which sets all players off simultaneously across the course.
Rajesh Kaul, chief revenue officer and business head for sports and international at Sony Pictures Networks India, said the format was a key part of the appeal. “The league’s innovative broadcast approach accelerates pace and enhances both individual and team storylines, delivering a dynamic, action-dense viewing experience with significantly more live action than traditional golf broadcasts, all within a four-to-five-hour window,” he said, adding that the deal reinforced Sony’s commitment to delivering “mass reach and world-class sporting experiences.”
Örjan Olsson, senior vice-president for international media rights at LIV Golf, called Sony “one of India’s largest and most trusted sports broadcasters” and said securing both linear and OTT distribution “materially improves our reach, brand visibility, and long-term positioning in a crucial market.”
The deal also carries personal significance for at least one player. Anirban Lahiri, who competes for Crushers GC, called it “a big moment for golf in India.” For him, the partnership is about more than reach. “It’s also about visibility,” he said, “giving young players in India a chance to see this level of competition up close and believe they can be part of it one day.”
LIV Golf has spent four years trying to establish itself as a genuine rival to the PGA Tour, poaching big names, building team formats and seeking broadcast footholds in major markets. India, with its vast sports-hungry audience and a growing appetite for golf, is exactly the kind of market that can move the needle. Sony, with over 700 million viewers in India alone, is exactly the kind of partner that can make it happen.
The tee is set. Now LIV Golf has to deliver.
Sports
CricViz signs multi-year data and analytics deal with Cricket Australia
Partnership powers performance analytics and fan engagement with real-time insights
MELBOURNE: CricViz has been named the official data collection services and high performance partner for Cricket Australia, marking a significant step in the governing body’s push towards a unified and data-driven cricket ecosystem.
The multi-year agreement forms part of Cricket Australia’s broader data centralisation initiative, aimed at creating a single, reliable statistics platform. The move is expected to streamline performance analysis while enhancing decision-making across both men’s and women’s programmes.
At the heart of the partnership is CricViz’s suite of advanced analytics tools, which will offer players and coaches deeper insights through performance data and video analysis. Products such as Query Tool, Centurion and Video Scorecard will support tactical planning, while the FastPath system will enable precise ball-by-ball data capture and tagging.
Beyond the dressing room, fans are set to benefit as well. The collaboration promises richer match coverage, real-time insights and more interactive digital experiences. CricViz’s predictive models, editorial insights and live data feeds will power content across digital platforms, social media and broadcast integrations, making the game more immersive for audiences.
Speaking on the development, Cricket Australia chief of cricket James Allsopp said, “Data and video analytics are an enormously important aspect of team performance and we are delighted this partnership will provide our teams access to CricViz’s state-of-the-art analytics products.” He added that the deal would also “greatly enhance our coverage of the game for fans” across platforms.
Echoing the sentiment, CricViz managing director Michael Kivido noted, “Cricket Australia is one of the most sophisticated cricket organisations in the world, and this partnership reflects what CricViz is building globally, a single, trusted data infrastructure that serves high performance, broadcast and fan engagement all under one roof.”
The agreement further strengthens CricViz’s global footprint. With this addition, the company now partners with nine of the 12 Test-playing nations, alongside several leading cricket organisations, leagues and franchises worldwide.
As cricket continues to embrace technology, this partnership signals a clear direction of travel where data is not just a support tool but a central pillar of performance, storytelling and fan experience.
