BCCI media rights: STAR India wins the toss in cricket sweepstakes

Winning the rights would have given the Ambanis a big boost, say analysts, in increasing data usage for the 160 million Jio customers

Will acquiring the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI’s) rights for bilateral international cricket matches in India be the winner’s curse for STAR India?

Or will the acquisition reinforce STAR India’s top position in cricket telecasting by increasing the gap with its traditional rival Sony and keeping Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio away for a second time from winning coveted cricket rights (the first time was the Indian Premier League, or IPL), which not only drive customers but also bring in huge advertising revenue as well as subscriptions.

The Ambanis, who have built a media empire, recently took a