Sports
Matix joins Mumbai City FC as associate partner
Alliance aims to boost youth fitness and India’s football ambitions
MUMBAI: In a move that blends boardroom vision with on-pitch ambition, Matix has announced an associate partnership with Mumbai City FC for the ISL 2025 to 26 season.
Promoted by Nishant Kanodia, Matix will feature as the Jersey Pendant sponsor on the club’s first team matchday kits. The brand will also enjoy a strong presence at the NMSA training facility and the Mumbai Football Arena, placing it at the heart of India’s top flight football action.
The collaboration signals a shared commitment to discipline, performance, and long-term value creation, both on and off the pitch. By aligning with one of the country’s most professional football platforms, Matix hopes to inspire young Indians to embrace sport, fitness, and teamwork as pathways to personal growth.
India’s premier football competition, the Indian Super League, operates under the governance of the All India Football Federation. Partnerships such as this play a vital role in nurturing high performance environments while expanding football’s footprint across the country.
Speaking on the partnership, Kanodia said football represents excellence and resilience, adding that supporting a professional club like Mumbai City FC reflects Matix’s belief in sport’s ability to inspire millions of young Indians to pursue healthier, more disciplined lifestyles.
Mumbai City FC CEO Kandarp Chandra, welcomed Matix to the club’s growing partner ecosystem, noting that the company’s long-term outlook aligns with the team’s ambition to consistently compete at the highest level and elevate Indian football’s global standing.
As Indian clubs continue to make their mark in continental competitions, the next step lies in nurturing homegrown talent capable of competing on the international stage. Matix believes that sustained investment in elite sporting platforms can help India strengthen its presence in global qualification pathways, from Olympic participation to future Fifa World Cup campaigns.
Beyond branding, the partnership will see Matix and Mumbai City FC engage fans through digital content, matchday activations, and initiatives designed to promote physical fitness and a responsible sporting culture.
Together, the two aim to champion a more aspirational and globally competitive football ecosystem in India, one goal at a time.
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.
