Mumbai: The Delhi High Court has granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favour of JioStar India Private Limited, restraining multiple rogue mobile applications and websites — including Cricfy TV and related platforms — from illegally streaming or communicating content from India’s upcoming cricket series against South Africa (14 Nov – 19 Dec 2025) and New Zealand (11–31 Jan 2026). The injunction covers all 18 scheduled matches, safeguarding JioStar’s exclusive broadcast reproduction rights.
The Court acknowledged that JioStar holds exclusive global digital and television rights for all BCCI events from 2023 to 2028, secured through significant commercial investments and formally confirmed by the BCCI. These rights include all live and recorded audio-visual content distributed via JioStar’s extensive broadcast network and its OTT platform, JioHotstar.
JioStar submitted that rogue Android-based applications, particularly Cricfy TV, have repeatedly engaged in unauthorised streaming of premium cricket content, including recent international fixtures. The Court noted that such platforms routinely resurface under new domains and interfaces despite earlier blocking orders, posing a serious threat to lawful broadcast operations, especially during live sports events.
Recognising the urgency associated with real-time piracy, the Court ordered the immediate blocking of eight identified domains and user interfaces linked to the infringing services. It also directed Domain Name Registrars (DNRs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to act within 72 hours to ensure full compliance.
Significantly, the Court authorised real-time dynamic blocking of any additional apps, UIs or websites discovered during the cricket tours, enabling swift enforcement without the need for repeated court intervention.
This proactive ruling marks a strong step in India’s fight against sports piracy, reinforcing the value of lawful broadcast ecosystems and strengthening protections for high-value live sports content across digital platforms.
