ABC Australia & Maharaja Media Network Announce Partnership: Brand Sri Lanka to the World

Colombo | Sydney: In a significant step for Sri Lanka’s media industry and its engagement with the wider Indo-Pacific region, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sri Lanka’s Maharaja Media Network, part of the Capital Maharaja Group.

The agreement marks a major expansion of a relationship that began with an initial broadcast arrangement in 2023, and now moves into a broader framework of content sharing, co-productions and professional exchange across television, radio, digital platforms and content development.

Maharaja Media Network is Sri Lanka’s largest media network, operating across television, radio, digital platforms, music and movies.

It includes MTV Channel (Private) Limited and MBC Networks (Private) Limited.

For Sri Lanka, the partnership is more than a media agreement. It creates new pathways for local media professionals to engage with one of the region’s most respected public broadcasters, and contribute to a deeper exchange of stories, skills and ideas across the Asia-Pacific.

It also strengthens regional cooperation through institutions such as the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, at a time when public-interest media, credible journalism and cultural storytelling are increasingly important to how nations understand one another.

“This is an arrangement that will cover co-production, it will cover sharing of content, and it will cover greater cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region in producing stories that will speak to both of our countries, and I couldn’t be more excited. We’ve got a great legacy of this,” said Matthew Duckworth of the Australian High Commission to Sri Lanka, speaking on the partnership.

The agreement is not an isolated announcement, but the continuation of a relationship that began during one of Sri Lanka’s most difficult periods.

In 2022, ABC Australia, the broadcaster’s international television service, first joined hands with MTV through a television licensing agreement. That partnership brought a range of ABC current affairs, entertainment, cultural and sports programming to Sri Lankan audiences free-to-air, creating a bridge between the two countries through the universal power of storytelling.

Since then, the relationship has steadily deepened. Editorial collaborations, promotional campaigns and regional media initiatives have strengthened ties between the two organisations, laying the foundation for a broader partnership rooted in innovation, public service and impact.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “We are delighted to formalise our partnership with CMG and look forward to exploring new opportunities for collaboration across content media development and digital storytelling. This partnership builds on an already strong relationship and reflects our shared commitment to supporting public-interest media across the Indo-Pacific region, and strengthening cultural and media ties between Australia and Sri Lanka".

Chevaan Daniel, Group Director of the Capital Maharaja Group and The Maharaja Media Network, said the partnership with ABC Australia “began in 2022 during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis,” describing it as a powerful vote of confidence in both MMN and the country. “Since then, ABC has stood by us through challenging times, including the Ditwah Cyclone in 2025.

Signing this MoU marks a meaningful next step in a trusted partnership, and we look forward to deepening the shared values between Australia and Sri Lanka,” he said.

The new agreement gives that relationship a more ambitious future.

It opens space for Sri Lankan stories, talent and perspectives to travel further, while giving local media professionals access to international experience, standards and collaboration. 

For audiences, it promises richer content. For the industry, it offers exposure and exchange. For the country, it is an opportunity to project Sri Lanka’s creativity, resilience and human potential to the world.

It also offers a powerful platform to carry Brand Sri Lanka forward - positioning the island’s heritage, tourism, culture, design, landscapes and people before wider regional and global audiences.