Maincast Sport has received the Best Debut award at the IX BigData Awards, less than a year after launching as a dedicated sports television channel in Ukraine.

The annual BigData Awards recognize the country’s top television channels based on monthly audience performance across OTT and IPTV platforms. Maincast Sport secured the debut honor following its first full season on air, during which it significantly expanded its portfolio of international sports rights.

Since launching in the autumn of 2025, the broadcaster has added coverage of several major competitions to its schedule, including the NBA, Copa del Rey, the Turkish Süper Lig, Brazilian Serie A, Copa Libertadores, as well as MotoGP and NASCAR.

«This award confirms that we are moving in the right direction. We will continue investing in high-quality broadcasts and original Ukrainian-language content to ensure the channel remains modern, ambitious and engaging for sports fans,» said ARS Capital CEO Maksym Krippa following the ceremony.

The channel’s distribution is handled by Starlight Media, allowing Maincast Sport to expand its presence across Ukrainian television platforms.

Beyond acquiring broadcasting rights, Maincast Sport has also focused on producing original programming around its sports portfolio, including studio analysis, podcasts and entertainment shows. The channel became the first Ukrainian broadcaster to commentate NBA and Spain’s top basketball league directly from on-site venues, strengthening its coverage of international competitions.

Maincast Sport is part of ARS Capital’s media assets, marking the holding’s expansion beyond esports broadcasting. Maincast, long recognized as one of Ukraine’s leading esports production companies, has steadily broadened its presence in traditional sports since launching the channel, with the BigData Awards recognition highlighting the project’s early audience growth and market impact.