LAHORE: As the uncertainty surrounding the February 15 Pak-India Cricket fixture at Colombo is over, eminent Mumbai-based Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani is one of the happiest stake-holders along with the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Ambani, the richest person in Asia with net worth estimated to be resting between US$112 billion to $112.8 billion, owns Messrs JioStar and Star Sports India, which are paying the ICC approximately US$911 million or Pakistani Rs 255.28 billion for 55 T20 World Cup matches.
An eminent Indian sports portal “Khel Now,” states: “For the T20 World Cup 2026, JioStar and Star Sports India are paying the ICC approximately US$911 million for 55 matches. The combined broadcasters for the rest of the world are paying $60.80 million. Hence, each match is roughly valued at $16.50 million. Matches between Pakistan and India typically generate $60 million in Television advertising alone. The Advertisement slots for this fixture cost about Indian Rupees 2.5 million to 4 million per 10 seconds. The boycott could have put JioStar at risk of losing $24 to $36 million in Advertising revenues. The Sri Lankan Cricket Board, the hosts, could have incurred losses of $29 million from stadium ticket sales.”
Research shows Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries owns a 63.16% share in JioStar (formerly Disney Star) through an investment of $1.4 billion in November 2024.
Meanwhile, the Star Sports Network is a group of Australian pay television sports channels owned by JioStar, a joint venture between Viacom18 (another subsidiary of Reliance Industries) and Disney India.
On November 14, 2024, Viacom18 merged its assets with Disney India’s subsidiary Disney Star to form JioStar. The merger was valued at $8.5 billion.
And had the conflict between Pakistan and India for today’s match at Colombo not been resolved, the International Cricket Council would reportedly have incurred a loss of US$174 million or Pakistani Rupees 48.72 billion. The US$174 million figure, according to various Pakistani and Indian media houses/sports websites, chiefly involves revenues that are expected from broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals and gate receipts tied directly to the Pakistan–India match since the rivalry carries decades of political tension, high voltage cricketing drama and cultural intensity.
But now that the matter has been settled through diplomatic channels, broadcasters are no longer nervous, travel companies will not have to pay any cancellations and hotels will not be receiving any refund calls.
A Cricket website “www.cricketory.com” states: “The ICC’s commercial backbone is broadcasting revenue. The bulk of ICC income comes from media rights agreements, especially with the Indian market, which represents the largest consumer base in global cricket. The Pakistan–India match routinely delivers record-breaking viewership numbers, peak advertising rates per 10-second slot, multi-million-dollar sponsorship integrations and highest digital streaming traffic in tournament phases. Broadcasters build entire revenue models around this game. When uncertainty loomed, it wasn’t merely a sporting issue. It threatened contractual stability. If the match didn’t happen.”
According to the portal, had the showdown persisted, sponsors could have demanded compensation, advertisers could have pressed ICC to renegotiate tariffs, the media rights value projections would have weakened and the entire ICC structure would have trembled.
Website www.cricketory.com asserted: “Had the match had been scrapped, refunds would have been massive, sponsors would have demanded revaluation, and stadium revenue would have collapsed. Multiply that by merchandising, food concessions, and on-ground activations — and you would have seen how quickly millions vanish. Global sponsors attach themselves to ICC tournaments with one expectation: visibility during India’s matches — especially against Pakistan. Brand managers don’t invest tens of millions for neutral fixtures. They invest for peak Pak-India rivalry viewership, cross-border engagement, and social media explosion. A canceled match would not just have dented ICC revenues — it would have eroded sponsor trust. And in commercial sport, trust is the currency.”
The website maintained: “The Pakistan–India match isn’t just a contest. It’s a broadcast spectacle. A sponsorship magnet. A geopolitical balancing act. A tourism driver. A ratings juggernaut. When uncertainty threatened it, the entire ecosystem trembled. When confirmation arrived, markets responded instantly. Airfares surged. Hotels stabilized. Sponsors exhaled. Broadcasters recalculated upward. And the ICC avoided a nine-figure shock. It is proof that in modern cricket, some matches are simply too big to fail. And Pakistan–India remains the crown jewel of the global game.”
