Bangladesh Faces Media Rights Dispute Over IPL and WPL Broadcasts

A media rights dispute has erupted in Bangladesh involving JioStar and T-Sports over unpaid dues related to IPL and WPL broadcasts. JioStar has terminated its agreements with T-Sports due to payment defaults and is pursuing legal action to recover outstanding amounts. Additionally, JioStar has initiated arbitration against Gazi TV's affiliate concerning a sublicensing agreement. This situation underscores the increasing focus on enforcing sports media rights in South Asia, as cricket properties continue to hold significant commercial value.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 1, 2026, 22:42 IST

Overview of the Media Rights Conflict

A significant dispute has arisen in Bangladesh regarding the broadcasting and exploitation rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Women's Premier League (WPL). JioStar India Private Limited, which owns the primary rights, has officially terminated its sub-licensing agreements in Bangladesh due to payment defaults by Excel Lead IT Solutions FZ-LLC, the parent company of sports broadcaster T-Sports.

Termination of T-Sports Agreement

The agreements were initially established between Viacom18 Media Private Limited (now JioStar) and Clifford Commodity DMCC, later transferred to Excel Lead (T-Sports). These agreements encompassed the digital media rights for IPL and WPL in Bangladesh for the seasons spanning 2023 to 2027. In January 2026, JioStar requested that Excel Lead settle outstanding payments related to the IPL 2025 and WPL 2025 seasons, which remained unpaid despite JioStar granting access to all relevant matches for commercial exploitation.

The designated cure period for addressing these defaults expired without resolution, prompting JioStar to exercise its right to terminate the agreements. This action resulted in the automatic reversion of all licensed rights back to JioStar, which is now demanding payment of all overdue amounts, including interest and associated costs.

Immediate Cessation of Broadcasts

Following the termination, Excel Lead (T-Sports) has been instructed to halt any broadcasting, streaming, or promotion of IPL and WPL rights in Bangladesh. The rights for these leagues have reverted to JioStar, and any continued use by Excel Lead would be considered unauthorized and infringe upon JioStar's proprietary media rights. JioStar is also contemplating legal action, including interim measures to prevent unauthorized exploitation and safeguard the commercial integrity of these valuable cricket properties.

Arbitration with Gazi TV Affiliate

In another related matter, JioStar has initiated arbitration against Green Bean Sports Marketing, an affiliate of Gazi TV Bangladesh, concerning a sublicensing agreement for IPL media rights in Bangladesh for the 2023-27 seasons. Signals for the IPL 2023 and 2024 seasons were transmitted as per the agreement, but contractual breaches and payment issues led to JioStar terminating the agreement in January 2025. Following this termination, JioStar has invoked arbitration to resolve the disputes and enforce its contractual rights.

JioStar's Position and Industry Implications

An industry insider has indicated that JioStar remains optimistic about the judicial process and its litigation efforts regarding this dispute. The company aims to recover all outstanding payments from the defaulting parties and is determined to pursue full recovery, including overdue interest and litigation costs.

Observers in the industry have noted that this situation highlights the growing emphasis on enforcing high-value sports media rights in the region, especially as major cricket properties continue to attract significant commercial interest across South Asia.