Mumbai, Jan 14, 2026, 14:03 IST
- JioStar has appointed Praveen Kumar, ex-GroupM executive, to lead its sports digital division and “LTV” strategy
- India’s women’s World Cup champions front a new campaign film from the broadcaster ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
- The tournament in India and Sri Lanka takes place from Feb. 7 through March 8
Praveen Kumar has taken on the role of senior vice president and business head for sports digital and long-term value at JioStar, according to a LinkedIn announcement highlighted by MediaNews4U. “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Senior Vice President – Business Head Sports Digital & LTV at JioStar!” Kumar posted. 1
The hire comes as JioStar ramps up its focus on cricket to boost digital viewership, with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 just weeks ahead. JioStar holds the official broadcast and digital partnership for the India and Sri Lanka-hosted event.
Timing is crucial since sports remain the key to India’s streaming and TV sector capturing large, reliable audiences. Marketers use “LTV,” or long-term value, to gauge the revenue a viewer generates over time via subscriptions, advertising, or both.
Kumar arrives from media agency GroupM, where since June 2023 he led trading, partnerships, and sports. Before that, he managed national trading at GroupM-Essence, the report said. His background also includes stints at Amazon, Mindshare, and Madison.
At JioStar, he’s tasked with extending sports viewing beyond just matchday spikes, overseeing the network’s sports digital business and lifetime value (LTV) strategy.
On Tuesday, JioStar launched a World Cup campaign film featuring India’s women’s World Cup champions Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, and Shafali Verma front and center. The spot calls on fans to back the men’s team. “It was apt for the reigning women’s World Champions to lead the charge in rallying support for the Men in Blue,” said Siddharth Sharma, JioStar’s head of sports content, according to ETBrandEquity. The tournament runs from Feb. 7 to March 8. 2
The campaign video can be found on the ICC’s website in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 section. 3
JioStar, a media joint venture led by Reliance Industries, is co-owned with Walt Disney, the company confirmed in a statement about the deal. 4
Competitive pressure is clear, even without fresh rights auctions. Streaming platforms are fighting to keep cricket fans hooked beyond the final over, while TV still chases the ad spikes tied to big games. That puts senior commercial roles in sports digital under a harsh spotlight—results emerge quickly.
But the downside is obvious. Sports rights and production carry hefty price tags, and advertising can be unpredictable; if a tournament draw fails to boost ongoing viewership or pricing leverage, the payoff timeline extends.
