Star Sports Live
Star Sports Network is one of India’s leading sports broadcast networks, widely known for HD coverage of a number of sports. Fans in India can watch any sports live on Star Sports Network as the channel is divided into multiple sports channels.
Formed on 28 October 1996, the network has since become a reference point for sport lovers throughout the Indian subcontinent. The network is owned by JioStar, a venture between Viacom18 and Disney India, and Reliance Industries has a notable stake in the company.
Channels like Star Sports 1 (English), Star Sports 1 Hindi, and regional language channels are expected to broadcast the matches to meet diverse linguistic audiences. For online stream viewers, the matches will also be live streamed on JioHotstar, the official streaming partner of Star Sports.
The History of Star Sports
Star Sports began its journey in 1991 under the name Prime Sports, launched by Hong Kong-based Star TV. Around the same time, ESPN was also building its presence in Asia through a separate channel. Both networks competed against each other for years, but neither could turn a strong profit alone.
In October 1996, Star and ESPN decided to join forces. They formed a joint venture called ESPN Star Sports, based in Singapore. This partnership ran the sports channels across Asia for many years and became a dominant force in regional sports broadcasting.
Things changed in 2012 when News Corporation bought out ESPN’s share in the joint venture. In 2013, Star India took full control of the sports channels. The network then unified its various sports channels, including Star Cricket, under a single Star Sports brand on 6 November 2013. This rebrand simplified the channel lineup and boosted the network’s identity as one unified sports destination.
Star India kept expanding its sports portfolio through the 2010s. It launched new leagues like the Pro Kabaddi League, the Indian Super League for football, and the Indian Badminton League. In 2017, The Walt Disney Company acquired 21st Century Fox, which brought Star India under Disney’s ownership. The network became known as Disney Star.
A major shift came in 2024. Reliance’s Viacom18 and Disney Star merged their media businesses to form JioStar, a joint venture valued at $8.5 billion. As part of this merger, the rival Sports18 channels were folded into the Star Sports network starting 15 March 2025. This move brought nearly all major sports broadcasting rights in India under one roof.
Star Sports TV Channels List
It has several channels to cater to various languages and regional tastes, such as:
- Star Sports 1 (English)
- Star Sports 1 Hindi
- Star Sports 1 Tamil
- Star Sports 1 Telugu
- Star Sports 1 Kannada
- Star Sports Select 1 and 2
- Star Sports 2 and 3
- Star Sports First
- Star 4K
Star Sports 1 is mainly known for big cricket matches and major sports events. During ICC tournaments or India series, this is usually one of the main channels showing live coverage.
Star Sports 1 Hindi became extremely popular because a huge number of cricket fans in India prefer Hindi commentary instead of English. The network later expanded further with regional channels for South Indian audiences.
The Star Sports Select channels are more popular among football fans because they often show international football competitions and other premium sports content.
Sometimes multiple live matches happen at the same time. In that situation, the network divides coverage across different channels so viewers can choose what they want to watch.
Sporting Events on Star Sports Network
Star Sports is much bigger than a normal sports channel. It has become a complete sports network that covers cricket, football, kabaddi, and many other events throughout the year. Cricket is still the main reason why most people watch Star Sports. The network has shown some of the biggest cricket tournaments over the years, including:
- IPL
- ICC Cricket World Cup
- ICC T20 World Cup
- Asia Cup
- India bilateral series
Star Sports gives coverage and commentary in several languages for wider participation, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali, for ease of accessibility among viewers who don’t understand English.
During IPL season especially, Star Sports receives massive traffic online because fans search for match timings, channel details, and streaming options daily.
One reason cricket fans like Star Sports is the presentation style. The network uses well-known commentators, former cricketers, and analysts who explain the game in simple language. Even beginners can understand what is happening during the match.
The network also focuses heavily on regional commentary because many viewers enjoy hearing cricket discussions in their local language. This helped Star Sports connect with audiences from different parts of India.
Even though cricket is the network’s biggest attraction, Star Sports also broadcasts many other sports throughout the year.
Football fans know the network because of competitions like:
- Indian Super League (ISL)
- International football tournaments
- European football coverage
Kabaddi also became hugely popular because of Star Sports. Before Pro Kabaddi League started getting proper TV coverage, the sport did not receive much attention. The network helped turn it into one of India’s biggest sports leagues.
Apart from cricket and football, Star Sports also shows:
- Tennis
- Badminton
- Hockey
- Wrestling
- Motorsports
This variety helps the network stay active throughout the year instead of depending only on cricket tournaments.
Broadcasting Rights Acquired by Star Sports
Star Sports holds one of the largest sports rights portfolios in India. Here are the major rights the network has acquired:
Indian Premier League (IPL)
Star Sports holds the television broadcast rights for the IPL from 2023 through 2027. This deal was part of a record-breaking media rights sale worth over ₹48,000 crore, split between television and digital rights.
BCCI Home Series
The network has held broadcast rights for the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) home international matches across multiple rights cycles, covering both television and digital platforms.
ICC Cricket Events
Star Sports (through Disney Star) has held digital and television rights for International Cricket Council tournaments in India, including the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy, at various points in recent rights cycles.
Cricket Australia
The network secured media rights for Cricket Australia’s home series and league matches in the Indian subcontinent, running from the 2023-24 season through 2029-30.
English Premier League (EPL)
Star Sports, now under JioStar, holds Premier League broadcasting rights in India through the 2027-28 season. The deal covers all matches from the league each season.
Indian Super League (ISL)
The network holds broadcast rights for India’s top domestic football competition, the Indian Super League.
Pro Kabaddi League
Star Sports has retained media rights for the Pro Kabaddi League across multiple rights cycles, helping the sport grow into a major television property in India.
International Premier Tennis League and Other Sports
Over the years, Star Sports has also acquired rights for events like the International Premier Tennis League, Hero Hockey India League, and various esports tournaments.
Verdict
Star Sports has played a defining role in how Indians experience live sports. Its reach extends into a large majority of television households in the country. By combining cricket, football, kabaddi, and other sports under one network, Star Sports has built a broadcasting powerhouse that few networks worldwide can match.