Regional-language cricket consumption is emerging as a significant growth driver for the sports ecosystem, with JioStar reporting strong audience engagement across Kannada, Telugu and Tamil feeds during TATA IPL 2026. The company has now launched ‘Beyond Boundaries’, an initiative aimed at connecting advertisers with the growing regional-language cricket audience through live cricket feeds and pre- and post-programming partnerships.

According to a press release, Kannada feed reach on JioHotstar increased by 30 percent year-on-year during TATA IPL 2026, while Telugu and Tamil feeds recorded growth of 23 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Telugu registered the highest increase in digital watch-time share among the three markets at 30 percent, followed by Kannada and Tamil.

The growth highlights the changing way audiences consume cricket, with viewers increasingly moving beyond Hindi and English to feeds that combine live sports with regional language and cultural relevance. JioStar said the trend also reflects the growing role of regional feeds in creating more personalised cricket-viewing experiences.

Each regional feed developed its own programming identity around the home franchise and local fandom. On the Telugu feed, this included formats such as ‘Cricket with Chai’ and ‘Orange O Rangu’, while the Kannada feed featured ‘Kempu Sainya’ and ‘Inside RCB’. The Tamil feed built match-day programming around the “Ini Singapathai” narrative. The regional coverage also included segments highlighting emerging young talent across the three markets.

The regional-language experience was supported by a commentary panel of more than 160 voices across 12 languages, bringing together former cricketers and regional experts. The Tamil feed featured Murali Vijay, L. Balaji, former Sri Lanka cricketer Russel Arnold and RJ Balaji. The Telugu feed included Hanuma Vihari and MSK Prasad, while Vinay Kumar and Veda Krishnamurthy were among the voices on the Kannada feed.

JioStar also reported strong growth across its digital ecosystem during the 2026 season. Connected TV reach increased by 22 percent, highlighting the growing convergence between television-scale reach and the targeting capabilities of digital platforms. Digital video views reached 25 billion, marking an 8 percent year-on-year increase, while regional-language watch-time share on digital platforms grew by 33 percent.

Anup Govindan, Head of Sales – Sports, JioStar, said the growth of regional-language cricket reflects the changing nature of sports consumption in India. He noted that audiences are increasingly choosing to experience cricket in languages and environments that feel familiar to them, creating opportunities for brands to engage more deeply with audiences across different markets.

According to Govindan, the opportunity for advertisers lies in understanding the specific characteristics of individual markets rather than viewing regional consumption only through the lens of overall scale.

With regional-language feeds continuing to attract audiences across platforms, JioStar sees them becoming an increasingly important part of India’s cricket ecosystem. The company’s ‘Beyond Boundaries’ initiative is aimed at leveraging this growth by creating more opportunities for advertisers and partners to engage with audiences across the country’s diverse regional markets.

This version keeps the report focused on the regional-language growth, digital metrics and advertiser opportunity, without making it sound like a promotional press release.