Sports
JioStar blocks 420 piracy sites during T20 World Cup
26.11 million downloads hit as Delhi HC order fuels global crackdown
MUMBAI: As the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup gathers pace, JioStar has tightened the screws on digital piracy, launching a sweeping crackdown on rogue apps and websites illegally streaming its premium cricket coverage.
In recent weeks, the broadcaster has moved against a clutch of illicit IPTV applications accused of siphoning off live World Cup feeds without a licence. Among those removed from the Google Play Store were XCIPTV, Televizo, IPTV Smarters Pro, VU IPTV Player and XTV Ultra IPTV Media Player. In total, 36 infringing applications across Android and iOS ecosystems were taken down, together accounting for more than 26.11m global downloads.
The app-store purge builds on earlier criminal enforcement actions targeting organised piracy networks. Last year, JioStar said it helped dismantle a large-scale IPTV operation serving millions of users worldwide.
Acting under a dynamic injunction granted by the Delhi High Court, JioStar has suspended 141 piracy websites globally during the tournament, disrupting an estimated 12.2 million instances of infringing traffic. A further 279 websites carrying unauthorised streams, with more than 2m in combined traffic, have been blocked at the ISP level under the same order.
Beyond domain suspensions and app removals, the company’s anti-piracy team acted in real time against 15 additional third-party applications, denting an estimated 11.5 million piracy-driven traffic instances. The strategy is blunt: choke off illegal supply and funnel viewers back to JioStar’s official platforms, including JioHotstar.
With live sport remaining the last bastion of appointment viewing, broadcasters are under mounting pressure to defend broadcast reproduction rights. JioStar’s multi-pronged offensive, spanning courts, code and coordinated takedowns, underscores the high stakes of cricket’s most lucrative tournament.
Sports
Sony Sports launches Kannada channel to expand Karnataka reach
Network sharpens regional push with new Kannada offering, stacking cricket, global sports, and the Asian Games 2026
Mumbai: Sony Sports Network has stepped harder on the regional accelerator, launching Sony Sports Ten 4 Kannada as it targets Karnataka’s sizeable and sports-hungry audience.
The move marks a deeper foray into language-led broadcasting, with the network betting that fans increasingly want sport in their own tongue—not merely subtitled, but culturally tuned. The Kannada channel follows closely on the heels of its Tamil and Telugu launches in 2025, signalling a clear strategy: go local, scale fast.
With this addition, Sony Sports Network’s portfolio swells to 11 sports channels spanning five languages—English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada—cementing its pitch as one of India’s most expansive multi-language sports broadcasters.
The new channel arrives armed with a dense calendar. India’s bilateral tours of England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand headline the cricket slate, alongside the Women’s Asia Cup T20. Further out, the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026—featuring 41 disciplines including cricket, hockey and kabaddi—adds heft to the line-up.
Beyond the pitch, the offering stretches across global and domestic properties: UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, Indian Super League and UFC, all packaged with Kannada commentary and presentation.
“The South market is one of the most significant, accounting for about a third of the overall television viewership, and Karnataka is among one of the most dynamic and high-potential sports markets in the country,” said Rajesh Kaul, chief revenue officer and business head, sports and international, Sony Pictures Networks India. “As consumption increasingly shifts towards language-first experiences, regionalisation is no longer an option but a strategic imperative. With Sony Sports Ten 4 Kannada, we are deepening our commitment to this market, bringing fans closer to the action through a more immersive, culturally relevant viewing experience. This launch not only expands our regional footprint but also strengthens our ability to unlock new audiences and deliver greater value to our partners across an action-packed sporting calendar.”
Available across major distribution platforms, the channel aims to reach viewers across urban and rural Karnataka alike.
The message is unmistakable: in India’s fragmented media market, language is leverage—and Sony Sports intends to use it.
