Sports
India Pakistan clash sparks match day business boom
Match-day frenzy rivals knockout thrill as food delivery, ads and bars cash in big.
MUMBAI: Sunday’s India-Pakistan T20 World Cup showdown didn’t just deliver edge-of-the-seat cricket, it turned into a full-blown commercial carnival that had wallets flying as fast as sixes. After Pakistan dramatically reversed its boycott threat and took the field in Colombo, the fixture exploded into one of the biggest non-knockout demand drivers the tournament has seen. Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the high-stakes rivalry once again proved it can supercharge economies far beyond the boundary ropes.
Food delivery giants Swiggy and Zomato rolled out flat discounts at select partner restaurants, framing them as official match-day treats. Quick-commerce players bulked up on snacks and beverages, bracing for more than a 50 per cent spike in impulse buys. Industry insiders said the surge felt closer to a World Cup semi-final than a routine league game.
Wow! Momo Foods, president of the National Restaurant Association of India and CEO Sagar Daryani described Indo-Pak evenings as “carnival evenings”. He projected delivery sales during peak match hours would jump 35–40 per cent over a normal Sunday, with average order values climbing more than 20 per cent thanks to combo deals and celebratory bundles. Dine-in trends mirrored the boom.
Hospitality venues cashed in too. Bars and clubs in major cities more than doubled cover charges for live screenings, while group bookings flooded in despite the short notice. Hyatt Centric Juhu reported outlets running near full capacity, with footfalls well above a typical Sunday longer stays and heftier food-and-beverage tabs included.
Advertising felt the heat most acutely. Once Pakistan confirmed it would play, demand for airtime surged. Ten-second slots on broadcaster JioStar reportedly hit Rs 40 lakh roughly 25 per cent higher than regular rates of Rs 20–25 lakh. “Fence-sitter advertisers jumped on board over the weekend,” a senior media executive said, with brands paying a premium to stand out in the marquee clash.
Sectors from beverages and FMCG to tech and e-commerce scrambled for inventory. Major sponsors Britannia, Amul, Hyundai, Emirates, Rapido and Mahindra & Mahindra led the charge. JioStar is on track to rake in over Rs 2,000 crore in ad revenue from the entire tournament.
Historically, India-Pakistan fixtures deliver nearly double the footfall of an ordinary Sunday for hospitality players, along with extended dwell times and stronger spends. This time was no exception.
In the end, while the players battled on the pitch, businesses across India were quietly scoring their own boundaries proving once again that few sporting rivalries can match the commercial pull of India versus Pakistan.
Sports
Sun TV sues Chennai Super Kings over use of Jailer, Coolie music in IPL promo
Network seeks Rs 1 crore in damages as Madras High Court directs CSK to confirm songs removed from jersey launch video
CHENNAI: A legal battle has erupted even before the first ball of IPL 2026 is bowled. Sun TV Network has moved the Madras High Court accusing Chennai Super Kings of copyright infringement over the alleged use of music, background scores and dialogues from the Rajinikanth films Jailer, Jailer-2 and Coolie in a promotional video for the franchise’s new jersey.
The commercial suit, filed by Sun TV Network Limited against Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited and three of its officials, claims the IPL franchise used copyrighted audio content without obtaining a licence from the rights holder.
Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy heard preliminary submissions in the matter before adjourning the case to March 16. The court also directed CSK to file an affidavit confirming its statement that the songs in question are no longer being used in the team’s promotional material.
The suit names CSK chief executive and managing director Kasi Viswanathan, head of finance Avinash Sridharan and head of content Radhakrishnan Sreenivasan as defendants alongside the franchise company.
According to Sun TV, CSK released a promotional video on March 1 to unveil its IPL 2026 jersey across social media platforms including Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook. The video allegedly incorporated audio tracks, background scores and dialogues from Jailer, its upcoming sequel Jailer-2 and Coolie — all Rajinikanth projects produced by Sun Pictures, the film production arm of Sun TV Network.
Jailer, released in 2023, emerged as one of the biggest Tamil box-office hits of the year. Its soundtrack by Anirudh Ravichander, particularly the viral track Hukum, became a staple across social media and stadium events. Sun TV told the court that Anirudh Ravichander had been engaged under agreements that vest all rights in the films’ music with the producer, making Sun TV the exclusive copyright holder authorised to license the music.
The network alleged that the content was used at several points in the video, including scenes depicting the arrival of CSK captain MS Dhoni at the team camp, to amplify the promotional appeal of the campaign. It argued that the video was designed to promote the team’s merchandise, including its IPL 2026 jersey sold online at around Rs 2,399, thereby generating commercial gain from copyrighted material.
Sun TV has sought a permanent injunction restraining CSK from using any songs, dialogues or background scores from its films across platforms including social media, stadium broadcasts and promotional campaigns. It has also demanded Rs 1 crore in damages and asked the court to direct the franchise to disclose revenues generated from the promotional campaign that allegedly used the copyrighted music.
Senior counsel J Ravindran, appearing for Sun TV, told the court that CSK had stopped using the songs after receiving an e-mail objecting to their use. Ravindran nevertheless urged the court to ensure that the franchise does not repeat the alleged infringement.
Senior counsel PS Raman, representing CSK, informed the court that the tracks from Jailer, Jailer-2 and Coolie had already been removed from the promotional video. Raman also assured the court that the franchise would obtain proper licences if it uses such material in the future.
With the IPL season approaching and the dispute now in court, the clash has added an unexpected off-field contest to cricket’s biggest league — one that will be fought not with bats and balls, but with copyrights and court orders.
