Sports
Sport has led the way in making live experiences truly accessible: Siddharth Sharma at FICCI-EY report launch
JioStar’s Siddharth Sharma says access, not attendance, will define the next phase of growth
MUMBAI: The future of live entertainment will not be built in bigger venues but on bigger screens. Digital scale, not physical capacity, will power the next surge, Siddharth Sharma, head of content, sports, JioStar, said at the FICCI-EY M&E Industry Report launch 2026.
Speaking at a panel on the business of live entertainment, Sharma pointed to a decisive shift already underway. While concerts and cultural events are gathering pace, sport has long cracked the code on scale. Mega properties such as the TATA IPL now pull in tens of millions of concurrent viewers on digital platforms, numbers no stadium can contain.
“Sport has led the way in making live experiences truly accessible,” Sharma said, citing multi-language feeds, interactive features, multiple streams and population-scale concurrency as game changers now spilling into entertainment formats.
The playbook is expanding fast. From live streams of Mahashivratri and Ganesh Utsav to immersive storytelling around Ram Navami, platforms are pushing culturally rooted experiences into homes, tilting the model from attendance-led to access-led consumption.
Global concerts, including Coldplay, mark another pivot. Sharma called them inflection points for “made-for-broadcast” experiences, where interactivity, including on-demand camera angles and real-time engagement, extends the event far beyond those in the arena.
“The stadium of the future will not have a pin code. It will be defined by how much control the consumer has over the screen,” Sharma said.
That shift matters in India, where only a sliver of audiences can attend large events physically. Digital amplification stretches reach from thousands on-ground to millions at home, widening access while unlocking deeper engagement.
Personalisation is now the battleground. Platforms are moving away from a one-size-fits-all feed to tailored experiences, language, interface, interactivity and even commerce stitched into the stream. “We are moving from one experience for millions to millions of experiences for each user,” Sharma said, pointing to watch parties and real-time interactions turning viewers into participants.
The next leap, he argued, hinges on mindset. With storytelling, scale and technology converging, platforms and broadcasters can amplify cultural moments beyond physical limits.
Live is no longer a place. It is a screen: limitless, personalised and always on.
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.
