JioStar has become the official broadcast and streaming partner for the Indian subcontinent for the 2026 Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, replacing FanCode, which had held the digital rights under a three-year agreement signed in 2024. The shift follows a change in the tournament's ownership and management structure earlier this year.
What changed and why
FanCode had signed a three-year digital streaming agreement with T Ten Global in September 2024, covering three leagues: Abu Dhabi T10, Zim Afro T10 and Lanka T10. Under that deal, FanCode held exclusive Indian streaming rights and carried the Abu Dhabi T10 in both 2024 and 2025, with the 2026 edition originally falling within the same three-year term.
That arrangement ended after Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub (ADCSH), a government-backed entity, took majority ownership and commercial control of the tournament in May 2026. The league, previously run as a private venture, now operates under ADCSH with backing from the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Emirates Cricket Board. A person close to the development told BestMediaInfo that the ownership transition triggered a renegotiation of existing commercial contracts, including FanCode's streaming deal, and that FanCode was not compensated when its arrangement was cancelled. The exact contractual terms behind the cancellation have not been made public.
A new distribution structure
In September, the tournament named Apex Sports Consulting as its global broadcast rights distribution partner, tasked with building television and digital partnerships across markets. JioStar's appointment, announced on October 26, came about a month later, confirming it as the official broadcast partner for the Indian subcontinent for the 2026 edition.
All 32 matches will air live on Star Sports and stream on JioHotstar. The tournament runs from November 7 to 20 at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, spread across 13 playing days. JioStar says it will also support the event with fan-facing content, including behind-the-scenes material and other digital features.
What remains unclear
While the ownership change and the new distribution deal have been publicly confirmed, the league has not detailed how FanCode's prior agreement was formally unwound or what contractual mechanism allowed the cancellation without compensation, according to the person who spoke to BestMediaInfo. FanCode is not part of the tournament's announced Indian distribution plans for 2026, and no public statement from FanCode or T Ten Global has addressed the matter directly.