In a move that is likely to be a game-changer for IPL this season, Sports18 is believed to have decided to air IPL free on the Jio app, taking its reach to over 500 million users. As part of its strategy to take TV head-on, the app is expected to sell its inventory, not on impressions but as 10-second slots exactly like how it is sold on TV.

Sources in the industry claimed the pitch by Sports18 is concentrated around four points. Unlike Disney+ Hotstar, the matches will be available free on the Jio app and that too in 11 different languages, including Bhojpuri, Tamil and Bengali.

The digital player is also believed to be banking on the growth of connected TV. “Most people, particularly in the cities, have smart TVs and may prefer installing the Jio app over investing in a package. Hence, this will bring you IPL for free on your big screen as well," the expert noted.

Sports18, when contacted for comments, neither accepted nor denied the claims.

Early last year, Viacom18 (Sports18) bagged the IPL digital rights for the Indian subcontinent for a whopping sum of Rs 20,500 crore, which amounts to Rs 50 crore per match.

“They have a huge sum to recover and so they are looking at different possible ways to sell their game. Being the debutant in the domain they want to play safe yet aggressive,” said another senior industry player.