Free cricket was Jio’s big play. It’s also why the maths stopped mathing

09/12/2025 9 min Episodio 637
Free cricket was Jio’s big play. It’s also why the maths stopped mathing

Listen "Free cricket was Jio’s big play. It’s also why the maths stopped mathing"

Episode Synopsis


Yesterday, the Economic Times reported that JioStar has told the ICC it wants to exit its India media rights deal for cricket events, even with two years still left in the cycle. The company also doubled its provisions for expected losses suggesting the rights may cost more to deliver than they can earn back. It all started in late 2024 when Jio came in and flipped the script by streaming cricket tournaments for free and leaning towards a more ad-heavy model. For viewers, it felt like progress. But now with the drop in ad spending from online money gaming platforms after new regulations, Jio is feeling the squeeze.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.