Mumbai, 18th June, 2026: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has strengthened its cricket portfolio with the acquisition of exclusive television and digital media rights for India’s upcoming tour of Ireland in 2026.
The agreement will see Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV exclusively broadcast the two T20I matches from the tour, bringing Indian cricket fans closer to every moment of Team India’s action on the Irish soil.
With this acquisition, SPNI continues to deepen its investment in premium live sports, further enhancing its position as one of India’s leading destinations for international cricket. The addition of the Ireland tour expands Sony’s year-round cricket offering and provides fans with more opportunities to follow Team India beyond marquee multi-nation tournaments and bilateral contests.
The tour will showcase a mix of established stars and emerging talent, while also highlighting the growing cricketing ties between India and Ireland. The Indian squad led by Shreyas Iyer with Tilak Varma as second in command has an eclectic mix of young and experienced players such as Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna and the batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Fans can look forward to comprehensive coverage, expert analysis, multilingual commentary, and immersive viewing experiences across television and digital platforms.
Comments:
Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer and Business Head – Sports and International, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI):
“Indian cricket continues to unite and inspire millions of fans, and we are delighted to bring this exciting Ireland tour exclusively to viewers across Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV. This acquisition reinforces our commitment to delivering high-quality cricket content throughout the year and further strengthens our position as a premier destination for live sports. As Team India continues to captivate audiences wherever it plays, we remain focused on bringing fans closer to the game with world-class production, expert coverage, and a seamless viewing experience across platforms.”
Sarah Keane, CEO, Cricket Ireland:
“We are delighted that SPNI will bring this exciting series into millions of homes across India. When we hosted India Men in 2022, the broadcast became the most-watched sporting event ever staged in Ireland. We hope this year’s series can match or even surpass that success, while showcasing the strength of Irish cricket and the outstanding setting of Stormont in Northern Ireland to a global audience.”
The acquisition adds another premium cricket property to SPNI’s growing sports portfolio and underscores the network’s continued commitment to delivering compelling live sporting action to audiences across India and the subcontinent.
Fans will be able to catch every ball, every boundary, and every wicket from India’s tours of Ireland live and exclusive on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV.
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About Sony Sports Network:
Sony Sports Network is the premium destination for sports fans in India and comprises sports channels: SONY SPORTS TEN 1, SONY SPORTS TEN 1 HD, SONY SPORTS TEN 2, SONY SPORTS TEN 2 HD, SONY SPORTS TEN 3 HINDI, SONY SPORTS TEN 3 HINDI HD, SONY SPORTS TEN 4 TAMIL, SONY SPORTS TEN 4 TELUGU, SONY SPORTS TEN 4 KANNADA, SONY SPORTS TEN 5 and SONY SPORTS TEN 5 HD. Sony Sports Network has an enviable line-up of marquee sporting action across genres in its portfolio including international cricket boards :Asian Cricket Council (ACC), England and Wales Cricket Board, New Zealand Cricket Board and the Sri Lanka Cricket Board. Also a premiere destination for football, Sony Sports Network is home to the best of world class football with the UEFA EURO 2028 along with UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League, Bundesliga, FA Cup, Indian Super League, Durand Cup, Kerala Super League and more. The sports broadcaster also brings other sports like 2026 Asian Games, Australian Open, Roland Garros, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), WWE, LivGolf, Extreme H, Formula E, DP World Tour as well as domestic leagues like Hockey India League, Ultimate Kho Kho, Pro Panja League and more to Indian audiences through the year to deliver a distinct experience and engage viewers in a multi-sport milieu. Sony Sports Network provides English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada commentary for various sporting events and scales up with more regional language commentary for marquee sports events.
About Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited (formerly known as Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited):
Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited (SPNI) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, Japan. A leading media and entertainment conglomerate, SPNI comprises 29 Premium Channels in both SD and HD formats, including leading Hindi General Entertainment Television Channels – Sony Entertainment Television; Sony SAB and Sony PAL; Marathi General Entertainment Channel – Sony Marathi; Bangla General Entertainment Channel – Sony AATH; Hindi Movie Channels – Sony MAX, Sony MAX 1, Sony MAX 2 and Sony WAH; renowned destination for sports fans – Sony Sports Network comprising Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 3, Sony Sports Ten 4, Sony Sports Ten 5; Kids Entertainment Channel – Sony YAY!; English Movie Channel – Sony PIX; Factual Entertainment Channel – Sony BBC Earth; Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channel in the US and Canada – Sony KAL; Digital entertainment OTT platform – Sony LIV and the independent production venture for original content and IPs for TV and digital media – Studio NEXT. This Network reaches out to over 700 million viewers in India and is available in over 150 countries.
Recognised as an employer of choice within and outside the media industry, SPNI is a recipient of several awards, including India’s Best Companies to Work For 2021 by the Great Place to Work® Institute, India, Exemplars of Inclusion in AVTAR & Seramount’s Most Inclusive Companies Index 2024 and listed as one of the 100 Best Companies for Women in India for eight consecutive years by AVTAR & Seramount. In recognition of the company’s unique workplace culture and exceptional people practices SPNI won the ET Future Skills 2024 for Best Learning Program Supporting Change Transformation Business Strategy, and the TISS LeapVault CLO Awards 2024 for Best Employee Engagement Program and Best Games Based Learning Program.
SPNI is in its 31st year of operations in India. Besides having overseas subsidiaries, it has a subsidiary MSM-Worldwide Factual Media Private Limited, and an affiliate, Bangla Entertainment Private Limited in India.
