JioStar’s IPL 2025 experiment: Will AI redefine the fan experience?

Mumbai: Sports broadcasting still leans heavily on traditional methods. Despite advancements in scale and spectacle, innovation at the core of production remains stagnant. JioStar is rewriting that script, placing the fan at the centre of its AI-driven evolution.

Instead of merely chasing visual gimmicks, JioStar is embedding advanced viewer-centric enhancements into the JioHotstar ecosystem. The company is actively integrating artificial intelligence across the delivery chain of the Indian Premier League.

In a chat with BestMediaInfo.com, Prashant Khanna, Head - Production Services, Studios & Production Tech - Sports, JioStar, spotlighted storytelling, screen ratios, and personalisation as key areas of transformation.

“We’re integrating AI from pre-production to post, influencing everything the viewer consumes—be it linear or digital,” Khanna explained. “At the heart of it is a fan-first approach—understanding what the audience truly wants to experience.”

He noted how AI now drives real-time automated highlights, with each ball analysed from 140 unique angles and timestamps. This allows for near-instant highlight packages, available in multiple languages, ready within three minutes of match completion.

“It’s a massive gain in turnaround time, efficiency, and storytelling. Ultimately, it transforms the viewer’s experience,” he said. With AI-powered content discovery, fans can instantly pull up specific moments, like a trademark shot by a favourite batsman, without digging through the match.

A standout feature for IPL 2025 is MaxView, a vertical production format that keeps the ball centred within a 9:16 frame, optimised for mobile screens. 

JioStar raised the bar further by launching MaxView 2.0.  This feature transforms mobile viewing with immersive new swipe features. Now, fans can simply swipe up while watching a match to catch all the key moments in short-form clips—just keep swiping to skim through the action. With a single tap, you’re back to the live game in an instant. 

Want more control over how you watch? Swipe left to explore multiple camera angles of the live match, making your viewing experience more dynamic and personalised than ever before.

“MaxView is a flagship innovation for us,” Khanna emphasised. 

He said, “Initially, vertical production relied on extra cameras and crew. Now, AI ensures the ball stays perfectly centred, delivering a more immersive experience—especially on smaller screens.”

Looking beyond IPL, Khanna outlined JioStar’s larger vision for India’s sports ecosystem. Through a partnership with the Indian Institute of Creative Technology, the company is grooming next-gen talent. Starlab—JioStar’s innovation arm—already boasts multiple patents and over 20 globally recognised innovations.

“Our goal is to share this technology globally,” Khanna said. “To become a catalyst for collaboration. We’re building the blueprint, and the road ahead is full of potential.”