JioStar locks in a blue-chip sponsor line-up for WPL 2026

MUMBAI: Women’s cricket is no longer a promise. It is a business. JioStar has stitched together a heavyweight sponsor roster for the fourth edition of the Tata Women’s Premier League, underlining the league’s arrival as a mainstream sporting and advertising property.

The 2026 season runs from January 9 to February 5, with JioStar, the official broadcaster and streaming partner, securing 15 sponsors across categories that span the old economy and the new. The line-up includes State Bank of India, BHIM Payments App, Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water, Kalyan Jewellers, TVS Eurogrip Tyres, VIDA powered by Hero MotoCorp, OpenAI (ChatGPT), OnePlus, Tata Capital, Policybazaar, Pidilite, Wipro, Reckitt Benckiser India, Mast Masala and Crystal Cook N Serve.

FMCG, beverages and consumer technology remain the league’s commercial backbone. But the growing presence of BFSI, fintech and payments, auto and EVs, gems and jewellery retail and AI points to a broader shift. The WPL is no longer an emerging sports bet. It is a platform offering scale, cultural relevance and repeat engagement.

Anup Govindan, head of sports sales at JioStar, said the 2026 season marked an inflection point. Brands, he noted, are looking beyond short-term visibility towards long-term association, and the WPL now delivers the reach and intensity needed to justify that commitment. The widening category mix, he added, reflects confidence in women’s cricket as a premium media property.

The tournament opens on January 9 with Mumbai Indians taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Matches will air live on the Star Sports Network, with digital streaming on JioHotstar.

For advertisers, the message is clear. Women’s cricket has moved from the margins to the main stage. The sponsors have arrived. The spotlight is fixed. And the momentum is no longer waiting to be proven.