Sony Sports Network is expanding its regional-language coverage for India’s upcoming white-ball tour of England as the broadcaster looks to capitalise on one of international cricket’s most valuable bilateral properties. The eight-match series, scheduled between July 1 and July 19, will be available in five languages for the first time, reflecting Sony’s continued investment in widening audience reach while reinforcing the commercial appeal of premium bilateral cricket.
Regional expansion strengthens audience strategy
The broadcaster will offer coverage in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and, for the first time, Kannada, extending its regional footprint ahead of the five-match T20 International series and three-match One-Day International series.
England. India. A rivalry that always delivers. 🤩
Watch Shreyas Iyer and Team India in #ENGvIND from 1st July, LIVE in Kannada on Sony Sports Ten 4 Kannada 📺#SonySportsNetwork #MamlaPersonalHai pic.twitter.com/9zYb3Yfa1p
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) June 28, 2026
Sony is also bringing back its flagship cricket studio programme, Extraaa Innings, across all language feeds. The coverage will feature a panel including Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Graeme Swann, Ajay Jadeja, Shardul Thakur and Ambati Rayudu, providing analysis and insights throughout the tour.
Advertiser demand reflects the rivalry’s commercial value
The India-England rivalry continues to attract significant commercial interest, with Sony expecting strong demand from advertisers for the upcoming series.
Akshay Agrawal, Head of Linear Ad Sales at Sony Pictures Networks India, said in an official statement: “The advertiser response has been extremely strong, which reflects the significance of this property. India versus England remains one of the most compelling rivalries in international cricket, with two high-quality teams producing consistently competitive contests. From a commercial standpoint, India-England commands a 35-40% premium over most other India bilateral tours for a similar number of matches. That reflects the scale of audience interest and the strength of the rivalry as a sporting and media property.”
The broadcaster also believes the white-ball series can surpass the audience achieved during India’s 2025 Test tour of England, which attracted around 105 million viewers, supported by broader regional-language accessibility and premium studio programming.
Bilateral cricket remains central to Sony’s strategy
The England tour forms part of Sony’s wider portfolio of overseas India tours and Asian Cricket Council events, underlining the broadcaster’s continued focus on bilateral cricket despite increasing competition across the sports rights market.
According to LiveMint, Sony is expected to generate around ₹150 crore (approx. US$16 million) in advertising revenue from the England white-ball series, highlighting the property’s commercial strength amid a fragmented broadcasting landscape.
Sony’s overseas cricket rights portfolio also includes India’s tours of Ireland, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, positioning bilateral cricket as a key pillar of its long-term sports broadcasting strategy.
India prepare for another high-profile overseas assignment
On the field, India will travel to England with a combination of experienced players and emerging talent. Shreyas Iyer will captain the T20I side, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain, while the ODI squad is set to welcome back Virat Kohli following his recovery from a hamstring injury alongside Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah.
With expanded multilingual coverage, established on-air talent and continued confidence from advertisers, Sony is positioning the India-England white-ball tour as one of its flagship cricket properties of 2026 while further strengthening its presence in India’s evolving sports media market.
