• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 5, 2025

Sony-Zee Merger to Bid for IPL Media Rights

IPL/Design: Alex Brooks

Sony’s Indian entertainment group agreed to take a 53% stake in rival Zee Entertainment last week, investing $1.6 billion in the company. The deal has yet to close, but the combined company is reportedly already bidding for Indian Premier League media rights.

Star India bought the league’s rights for $2.6 billion in a five-year deal in 2017. This year, the price is estimated to grow another 25% for rights from 2023-2027.

Facebook, Amazon, Reliance, and Disney — which bought Star for $71 billion in 2019 — are all potential bidders. The Sony-Zee merger would also be a top contender as it stands to become the largest media group in India with control of 27% of the country’s media market, according to Edelweiss.

  • Before Star outbid them in 2017, Sony held Indian Premier League rights for 10 years.
  • In 2016, Sony purchased Ten Sports from Zee in a $385 million deal. Ten held rights to WWE, the UEFA Champions League, and major tennis and golf events.

Vikas Somani, head of mergers and acquisitions at Zee, made it clear that the combined company would be looking for more sports rights. He told Financial Times that “sports is one area which shall be looked upon keenly.” 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India plans to release the IPL’s media rights tender for the 2023-27 cycle in late October.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap Strives to Discover Joey Chestnut’s Secret

Schaap calls his second Hot Dog Eating Contest July 4.
opinion

Caitlin Clark’s Media Supporters Pushing Harder Against Slights

Dick Vitale, Colin Cowherd, and others are accusing other WNBA players of jealousy.

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.
exclusive

ESPN, Fox Reluctant to Share Talent With Netflix for Christmas NFL Games

ESPN talents who worked last year’s games include Laura Rutledge and Mina Kimes.

Featured Today

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
July 3, 2025

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
June 29, 2025

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Leo Messi

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 19, 2025

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.