Mumbai-based gaming firm Dream Sports has announced a $50 million (approximately Rs 427 crore) investment in Cricbuzz and Willow TV — the cricket-focused media platforms owned by Times Internet.
As part of the deal, Dream Sports will acquire a strategic minority stake in both platforms, which together reach 185 million monthly users across over 150 countries, according to a joint press release issued on Tuesday.
In March 2023, Willow TV renewed its agreement to broadcast International Cricket Council (ICC) events in the US and Canada through the end of 2027. This extends a partnership that originally began in 2016.
Willow TV, the leading cricket broadcaster in North America, delivers over 1,500 live matches annually to audiences in the US and Canada. It has also broadened its reach, emerging as a prominent cricket broadcasting platform in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
According to the statement, Dream Sports’ investment in Cricbuzz and Willow TV is strategically aimed at enhancing fan experiences. Consequently, the companies plan to collaborate on delivering real-time analysis and statistics, while also deepening audience engagement. Additionally, they intend to introduce integrated commerce features and AI-powered predictions to enrich Cricbuzz’s global user base.
Times Internet serves as the digital division of The Times of India Group, which also publishes The Economic Times.
Commenting on the investment, Dream Sports cofounder and CEO Harsh Jain said, “Dream Sports’ mission is to ‘Make Sports Better’ for Indian sports fans. Cricbuzz and Dream11 have worked together for over a decade, and with this investment, all cricket fans can expect much more fan engagement, interactive streams, and integrated commerce experiences that will bring them closer to the action and to each other.”
Avendus Capital acted as the exclusive financial advisor for the transaction.
With a user base of 200 million, Dream Sports — the operator of fantasy platform Dream11 — has been actively expanding its international footprint. Earlier this month, the company further expanded its international footprint by joining the ownership group of English football club Salford City FC.
As part of this move, it became a member of a high-profile consortium led by football legends David Beckham and Gary Neville, along with prominent business leaders Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies.
In addition to Dream11, Dream Sports also operates FanCode, a sports content and commerce platform, and DreamSetGo, an experiential sports travel venture.
On March 31, reports revealed that Dream Sports had shifted its domicile from the United States to India via a reverse merger, making it one of the first new-age companies to utilize the fast-track route for cross-border mergers.
Dream Sports’ strategic investment in Cricbuzz and Willow TV marks a significant step forward in its mission to enhance the global sports fan experience. By expanding its portfolio with leading cricket platforms and shifting its domicile back to India through a reverse merger, the company is clearly positioning itself for long-term growth and deeper market integration. Moreover, with its additional ventures like FanCode and DreamSetGo, Dream Sports continues to diversify its offerings — ultimately strengthening its presence in both digital sports media and fan engagement worldwide.
