Viacom18 and International Hockey Federation (FIH) sign exclusive media rights agreement

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has signed a new exclusive media rights agreement with Indian broadcaster Viacom18.

The four-year partnership, set to run from 2023 to 2027, will include all FIH events except the FIH Nations Cup. 

As per the agreement, Viacom18 channels will be broadcasting the upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, the first-ever FIH Hockey World Cup, the FIH Hockey Pro League and the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup among other events, which will be accessible via Viacom18’s TV channel, Sports18, and its dedicated OTT streaming platform, JioCinema. 

Also read: Nike signs new deal with FIH

Hursh Shrivastava, Head of Strategy, Partnerships & Acquisitions, Viacom18 Sports, commented:

“Hockey has been one of the most loved, followed and storied sports in India. The recent success of the Indian Men’s and Women’s National Team bodes well for the continuous growth of Hockey, and we are excited to bring unbridled access to millions of sports fans in India. The addition of world-class Hockey coverage reiterates our commitment to provide fans all-inclusive offerings of globally-acclaimed sports events.“

Tayyab Ikram, President, FIH, said:

“As we’re enhancing our commercial and broadcast approach, this agreement with Viacom18 is a major step forward. It’s a great support to be partnering with such a strong broadcaster in a country where hockey is so fundamentally and historically anchored, and where we continuously want to develop the game. On behalf of FIH, I would like to thank Viacom18 for joining our efforts to promote hockey in India even further.“