JioStar, a joint venture between Reliance Industries, Disney, and Bodhi Tree, is set for a major expansion and rebranding of its sports channels in preparation for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. According to a report by The Economic Times, the company plans to introduce multiple regional sports channels in both Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD).
As part of this initiative, the Sports18 brand will be phased out and replaced with Star Sports. Five existing Sports18 channels will be rebranded under the Star Sports name, further strengthening its presence in India’s sports broadcasting market.
The changes include renaming Sports18 1 as Star Sports 2 Hindi, Sports18 2 as Star Sports 2 Telugu, and Sports18 3 as Star Sports 2 Tamil. Additionally, Sports18 Khel will become Star Sports Khel, continuing its focus on diverse sports programming. The HD versions Star Sports 2 Hindi HD, Star Sports 2 Telugu HD, and Star Sports 2 Tamil HD are scheduled to launch on March 15, 2025, targeting premium viewers. The existing Sports18 1 HD channel will be replaced by Star Sports 2 Hindi HD.
Following these updates, JioStar’s sports network will expand to 24 channels across SD and HD formats in multiple languages. In addition to sports, the company is making changes to its entertainment segment by moving Colors Rishtey and Star Utsav to free-to-air (FTA) platforms, increasing its FTA lineup to six channels to reach a wider audience.
However, as part of this restructuring, JioStar will discontinue nine channels, including Comedy Central SD & HD, Vh1 SD & HD, MTV Beats SD & HD, Bindass, Colors Odia, and Star Kiran HD, as reported by The Economic Times. Post-revamp, JioStar will manage 130 pay and FTA channels across SD and HD, along with 83 broadcaster packs, including an FTA pack featuring six channels.