Mumbai, Jan 23, 2026, 19:37 IST
- Reports say JioStar has appointed Debrup Ghosh to lead its premium sports division
- The hire comes after Praveen Kumar shifted to head sports digital and LTV
- Pressure mounts as sports rights grow more expensive and audiences fragment between TV and apps
JioStar has named Debrup Ghosh director of premium sports, stepping up its commercial push in live events as the Reliance-Disney joint venture refines its strategy, according to a report from Meyka.com. 1
The timing is crucial since sports remains one of the rare formats that can draw large live audiences, despite viewers hopping between TV, apps, and bite-sized clips. This fragmentation has pushed media companies to overhaul how they pitch ads, sponsorships, and subscriptions tied to a single game.
Rivals appear to be following the same strategy. Sony LIV, streaming the Australian Open 2026, cited SPNI digital ad sales head Ranjana Mangla, who described tennis as valuable “both from a subscription and advertising monetisation perspective.” 2
Mediabrief.com’s LinkedIn post announced that Ghosh will take charge of JioStar’s premium sports division in Mumbai starting January 2026. He arrives after nearly five years at Myntra, with previous stints at ByteDance, IndiaMART, and Airtel Business. 3
TechStock² reported that Ghosh’s role focuses on boosting revenue and landing premium partnerships connected to JioStar’s sports assets. Ghosh confirmed the appointment on LinkedIn. 4
JioStar has bolstered its digital commercial team by bringing in Praveen Kumar as senior vice president and business head for sports digital and LTV — which stands for long-term value, a metric tracking the revenue a customer generates over time. Kumar announced the appointment on LinkedIn, according to MediaNews4U. 5
In April 2025, JioStar announced the completion of its joint venture with Disney, combining Star and Colors on TV with JioCinema and Hotstar in digital. The new entity operates over 100 channels. Together, the platforms boast more than 50 million subscribers and hold sports rights spanning cricket, football, and other games. 6
For JioStar, these hires highlight a well-known challenge: sports draw big audiences, but that doesn’t always translate into ad dollars or steady subscription growth. The real task is making “big match weekend” feel like ongoing, reliable business.
The downside is clear. Rights fees remain steep, ad demand fluctuates with the economy, and marketers now demand proof—not just of impressions, but real results.
JioStar’s next challenge: packaging premium sports content and partnerships that resonate across devices—and crucially, keep subscribers hooked between tournaments.
