iWorld
SC favours OTT guidelines, says screening needed
KOLKATA: The Supreme Court on Thursday remarked that there should be pre-censorship of OTT content like films while hearing a plea by Amazon Prime Video India originals head Aparna Purohit. She had moved the apex court challenging Allahabad high court order denying anticipatory bail to her in connection with the Tandav controversy.
"We are of the view that some screening of OTT content should take place,” the bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and S Subhash Reddy said. "In fact, some platforms even show pornography.”
Being informed of the new rules announced by the government to regulate OTT content, the bench directed solicitor-general Tushar Mehta to place the rules on record and circulate it.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Purohit, stated that it was shocking that she, neither a producer, nor an actor, has still been made an accused in the cases against Tandav. The Allahabad high court had rejected Purohit’s bail plea on 25 February, pronouncing that “…the applicant had not been vigilant and has acted irresponsibly making her open to criminal prosecution in permitting streaming of a movie which is against the fundamental rights of the majority of citizens of this country.”
The matter will be again taken up on Friday.
Tandav, which premiered on Amazon Prime in January this year, has been embroiled in a series of controversies. A petition was filed against the makers and actors for hurting religious sentiments by mocking Hindu deities in some scenes of the web series. They were also accused of showing the Uttar Pradesh police in bad light. Multiple complaints – including three FIRs in Uttar Pradesh – were filed against the makers of the show as well as the actors involved.
Yesterday, Amazon Prime Video once again issued an unconditional apology for the “objectionable” scenes in Tandav, and reiterated that all such scenes were deleted or edited.
iWorld
T20 World Cup ’26: India–England semi-final sets global streaming record of 619 million views on JioHotstar
India–England semi-final records 65.2 million peak streams
MUMBAI: The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 set a new milestone in global sports streaming, as the India–England semi-final drew record digital audiences on JioHotstar.
The match on 5 March registered 65.2 million peak concurrent viewers, the highest ever recorded for a live event on any streaming platform worldwide. The semi-final also generated 619 million views, making it the most streamed T20 international match in history.
The landmark audience numbers were driven largely by viewers in India, setting a record achieved within a single market, rather than through aggregated viewership across multiple countries.
The high-scoring encounter between India national cricket team and England cricket team produced 499 runs across both innings, fuelling widespread fan engagement across platforms.
According to the International Cricket Council, the digital record surpassed the previous global benchmark of 65 million concurrent viewers, set in November 2024 by another international streaming platform.
Across television and digital platforms combined, the semi-final reached more than 320 million viewers, while total watch time exceeded 23 billion minutes, making it the most watched T20 international match ever.
“This World Cup demonstrates the immense passion of cricket fans and the progress made in bringing the game closer to audiences worldwide,” said ICC chairman Jay Shah.
“This moment reflects the scale of cricket fandom in India and the technological capability required to serve hundreds of millions of viewers simultaneously.”
JioStar vice-chairman Uday Shankar, said the audience surge underscored the future of large-scale digital entertainment.
“One in every three Indians tuned in to watch the second semi-final. Delivering such an experience at scale requires the very best of technology,” he said.
The 619 million views during the match also eclipsed the 533 million views recorded during the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
With the final yet to be played, the 2026 tournament has already set multiple benchmarks in audience reach and digital engagement.
India will face the New Zealand national cricket team in the final on 8 March at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar.
