Abu Dhabi's fastest cricket tournament has secured its most important media partner yet. On 26 October 2026, the Abu Dhabi T10 confirmed that JioStar has acquired the broadcast rights for the 2026 edition across the Indian subcontinent. All 32 matches will be shown live on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar when the tournament returns to Zayed Cricket Stadium from 7 to 20 November.
For a competition that describes India as its biggest and most passionate market, the agreement is a major step in reach, credibility and commercial value. It is also a textbook example of how a rights holder in the UAE can use a broadcast deal as the engine of a wider media marketing strategy, turning a ten over format into content that travels across television, streaming and social platforms.
The timing matters too. This is the first full edition since Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub took majority ownership and commercial control of the tournament, and the JioStar deal shows what the new structure intends to deliver for fans, sponsors and the emirate's sports tourism ambitions.
According to MediaNews4U and afaqs!, JioStar becomes the official broadcast partner of the Abu Dhabi T10 for the Indian subcontinent. Star Sports will carry the linear television coverage, while JioHotstar will stream every match. SportzPower confirmed that the rights cover all 32 matches of the 2026 edition.
The partnership goes beyond live coverage. JioStar will support fan engagement with exclusive content, behind the scenes access and digital features, according to the tournament announcement reported by afaqs!. CricExec added that JioStar plans additional digital content, multilingual coverage and enhanced production around the event.
Neither side disclosed the financial value or the length of the agreement. SportzPower noted that the article covering the deal did not mention any term beyond the 2026 tournament, so for now the partnership should be read as an agreement for this edition.
The scale of the platform is the headline. Star Sports and JioHotstar together reach more than 800 million viewers every week, according to MediaNews4U. CricExec pointed out that this is JioStar's overall audience rather than a forecast for the T10 itself, but it shows the size of the shop window the tournament has now secured.
Matt Boucher, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub and CEO of Abu Dhabi T10, left no doubt about the strategic importance of the deal. "This partnership represents a special moment in the continued evolution of the Abu Dhabi T10," he said. "India has always been our biggest and most passionate market." He added that "the tournament is poised to reach its largest audience yet."
Speaking to SportzPower, Boucher went further, explaining that "expanding our broadcast footprint is central to our long-term strategy." That focus was already visible in June, when Aletihad reported that India was the key market in broadcast talks and that organisers wanted confirmed linear and OTT presence worldwide.
From the broadcaster's side, the logic is about format. Prashant Khanna, Head of Sports: Rights and Innovation at JioStar, said: "T10 has found its audience in India for its mile-a-minute format." He told SportzPower that "JioStar's unparalleled reach can take the event far and wide."
JioStar's sports portfolio gives the tournament powerful company. CricExec listed the IPL, ICC competitions, The Hundred, the English Premier League, Wimbledon and the US Open among the properties in its stable. Being scheduled alongside that kind of content is a strong signal to sponsors that the T10 is part of the mainstream cricket calendar for Indian viewers. It also means the tournament can benefit from cross promotion around other major cricket content, a powerful advantage when the goal is to build an audience for a newer format.
The broadcast agreement is the first major commercial outcome of a deeper change. In May 2026, Khaleej Times reported that Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub had taken majority ownership of the tournament and control of its commercial rights, making the Abu Dhabi T10 a government owned and government managed competition. The hub runs it as a long term national sporting asset with support from the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Emirates Cricket Board.
Aref Al Awani, Chairman of the Board of ADCSH and General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, described the move as "a strategic evolution of the tournament which signals strengthened governance, institutional credibility". Khalid Al Zarooni, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, said that "The Emirates Cricket Board supports the new framework."
The new owners have moved quickly on distribution. CricExec reported that Apex Sports Consulting was appointed in September 2026 as the tournament's global broadcast rights distribution partner. The JioStar agreement is the most visible result so far.
There is also a reset in the Indian streaming market. CricExec and Sports Mint Media both reported that FanCode had signed a three year streaming agreement in 2024 that was later reported as cancelled, with the contractual circumstances not publicly disclosed. With JioStar now in place, the tournament moves from a single streaming partner to a combined television and streaming package.
The 2026 Abu Dhabi T10 runs from 7 to 20 November at Zayed Cricket Stadium. It features 32 matches over 13 playing days, including six triple header days and seven double header days, according to afaqs!. CricExec reported that six teams will compete and that matches last around 90 minutes, a length that suits both prime time television and short form streaming.
The Official Player Draft was held in Abu Dhabi on 30 September, and the tournament will again feature international cricketers. Since 2017, 581 players from 26 nationalities have taken part, according to CricExec. The competition has been staged in Abu Dhabi since 2019, is sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board with ICC approval, and is supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi.
The calendar position is deliberate. Aletihad reported that the tournament is placed between ADIPEC and the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and that organisers are working with the ILT20 so the UAE can host two cricket tournaments over five to six weeks. For hotels, airlines and lifestyle brands, that creates a compact and valuable season of sports tourism.
Commercial partners are already building around the event. Earlier this month Miral confirmed Yas Island as the Official Experiences Partner of the 2026 Abu Dhabi T10, a deal TRIX20 covered in detail. The JioStar agreement adds the broadcast reach that makes those on site partnerships even more valuable.
The tournament's own figures explain why broadcasters and sponsors are paying attention. According to the organisers, quoted by afaqs! and MediaNews4U, the 2025 edition generated more than 527 million social media impressions and US$512 million in broadcast value. Khaleej Times reported the same US$512 million media value figure from an independent GSIQ report.
CricExec added that the competition reports a combined social media following above 4.8 million and cumulative reach above 1.2 billion. It rightly noted that broadcast value and impressions are exposure estimates, not cash revenue. Even so, for a brand deciding where to invest, these metrics are the starting point of any serious evaluation.
This is where a strong broadcast partner changes the equation. Every sponsor logo on the boundary, on the shirts and on the big screen at Zayed Cricket Stadium now has a direct path into one of the world's largest cricket audiences. For partners that buy into the tournament, tv advertising, in stadium branding and digital content become part of one connected story rather than separate line items. The best partners will brief their agencies early, align creative with the tournament schedule and build measurement into every activation, so that the investment can be judged on reach, engagement and business results together.
The JioStar agreement continues a long history between the T10 and Indian media. SportBusiness reported that Sony Pictures Networks acquired the rights to the 2019 Abu Dhabi T10 League for the third successive year, showing all 29 matches live on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3, with streaming on SonyLIV and Jio TV. SportBusiness also reported a separate agreement in which Viacom 18 secured the rights for the Indian subcontinent.
That track record matters. It shows that the format has consistently attracted the major Indian networks, and that each new agreement has been built around the same idea: short, high energy cricket that fits easily into an evening schedule and a mobile screen. What is new in 2026 is the combination of a single partner for both linear and streaming, a tournament now owned by an Abu Dhabi government entity, and a dedicated global distribution partner in Apex Sports Consulting.
For media buyers, a single rights holder across television and streaming simplifies planning. Campaigns can be bought, measured and optimised across both screens with one partner, which is exactly how modern sports media marketing is planned, with tv advertising, digital advertising and social content working together as one 360 marketing plan. For the tournament, it means one strong voice promoting the event to Indian audiences before and during the competition.
It also creates a useful benchmark for other UAE properties. Rights holders in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah can see how a clear ownership structure, a defined calendar slot and a professional distribution process lead to a stronger broadcast outcome. In a region investing heavily in sport, that playbook is likely to be repeated across other competitions.
For brands in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and India, the lesson is clear. A broadcast deal is the backbone of a modern sports property, but the value is unlocked through integrated 360 marketing. Live matches on Star Sports provide reach. Streaming on JioHotstar provides on demand viewing and data. Exclusive content and behind the scenes access, which JioStar has committed to, create the material for content marketing across social channels.
The short format is ideal for this approach. A 90 minute match produces highlights, player moments and fan reactions that fit naturally into digital advertising and social media. Brands can plan campaigns that start with tv advertising during live coverage and continue with targeted digital content in the hours that follow. That is media marketing at its most efficient: one event, many touchpoints, measurable results. Content marketing then extends the life of each moment, as clips, interviews and behind the scenes stories keep the brand visible between match days and long after the final.
For sponsors already active in the UAE, the deal also strengthens the case for event sponsorship tied to sports tourism. Indian viewers watching Abu Dhabi on Star Sports are also potential visitors to the emirate. Destination brands, airlines, real estate developers and hospitality groups can use the tournament to speak to them directly, with Abu Dhabi as the backdrop.
There is an opportunity for players and their partners too. International cricketers playing in a tournament broadcast across the subcontinent have a stronger platform for personal branding and influencer marketing. Brands that work with athletes during the tournament can combine broadcast exposure with authentic social content from the players themselves.
The JioStar agreement does three things at once. It gives the Abu Dhabi T10 its widest broadcast reach in its most important market. It shows that the new government backed ownership structure can deliver commercial results within months. And it gives sponsors a clear reason to invest in a tournament that now combines a strong venue, a compact calendar slot and a major media partner.
Boucher summed up the ambition in June, telling Aletihad that "The stability of ownership is really the foundation of having a successful event." With ownership settled and a leading broadcaster on board, the focus now shifts to delivering a tournament that matches the size of its new audience.
For brands thinking about cricket, the UAE and India together, the 2026 Abu Dhabi T10 is one of the most interesting media marketing opportunities of the season. A clear brand strategy, built across tv advertising, digital advertising and content marketing, is what will separate the partners who simply appear on screen from those who turn reach into lasting brand awareness.
Sources: MediaNews4U, afaqs!, SportzPower, CricExec, Sports Mint Media, Khaleej Times, Aletihad, SportBusiness
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