Mumbai: JioStar has locked in five major brand partnerships ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, underlining the growing advertiser confidence in women’s cricket as a premium cross-platform sports property.
The broadcaster has signed marquee partnerships with Google, Havells, Union Bank of India and BHIM, with brand integrations spanning connected TV (CTV), linear television (LTV), handheld/mobile and digital platforms.
Google has entered the tournament with two separate integrations. Gemini has come on board as co-presenting sponsor across handheld, CTV and LTV inventory, while Google Pay has signed as associate sponsor across handheld and LTV platforms.
Havells has also partnered as co-presenting sponsor across linear television and connected TV inventory, further strengthening its visibility across the tournament’s broadcast ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Union Bank has opted for an augmented reality (AR) bug integration across all platforms, though the association does not fall under an official sponsorship category. NPCI’s BHIM has secured a free commercial time (FCT) deal on linear television.
The early sponsorship momentum comes as JioStar intensifies its monetisation strategy around women’s cricket, banking on the record-breaking performance of recent ICC women’s tournaments across television and digital platforms.
According to industry data, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup recorded a reach of 446 million viewers, making it the highest-ever viewed women’s cricket tournament and surpassing the combined reach of the previous three editions. The India versus Pakistan clash emerged as the most-watched women’s international match in digital history, registering a reach of 28.4 million and 1.87 billion minutes consumed. On linear television, the fixture also became the highest-rated league-stage match in ICC Women’s ODI World Cup history.
Industry experts believe the pace of these sponsorship closures reflects a broader shift in advertiser perception, with women’s cricket increasingly being viewed as a mainstream premium sports property capable of delivering scale, engagement and cross-platform monetisation opportunities.
