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.
Sports
JioStar terminates Bangladesh IPL and WPL broadcast rights deals
Payment defaults lead to licence cancellations and potential legal action.
MUMBAI: When the money stops flowing in cricket’s biggest cash cow, even the sub-licence holders can find themselves suddenly bowled out. JioStar India Private Limited has terminated its Bangladesh sub-licence agreements for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) after the counterparty, Excel Lead IT Solutions FZ-LLC (holding company of broadcaster T-Sports), failed to clear outstanding dues.
The agreements, originally signed with Viacom18 (now part of JioStar) and later novated to Excel Lead, covered digital media rights for the IPL and WPL in Bangladesh for the 2023–27 seasons. In early January 2026, JioStar issued a demand notice for unpaid amounts related to the IPL 2025 and WPL 2025 seasons. Despite providing full access to matches and allowing complete commercial exploitation, the dues remained unpaid even after the cure period expired.
As a result, all licensed rights have automatically reverted to JioStar. The company has demanded immediate payment of all outstanding dues along with overdue interest and costs, and has instructed Excel Lead (T-Sports) to immediately cease any broadcast, streaming, promotion or exploitation of the rights in Bangladesh. Any continued use would constitute unauthorised exploitation.
JioStar is also considering legal proceedings, including interim and injunctive relief, to protect the commercial value of these high-profile cricket properties.
In a separate development, JioStar has invoked arbitration against Green Bean Sports Marketing (an affiliate of Gazi TV Bangladesh) over a sublicensing agreement for IPL television media rights in Bangladesh for the 2023–27 seasons. The agreement was terminated in January 2025 due to contractual breaches and payment issues.
Industry sources say JioStar remains confident in the judicial process and is determined to recover all outstanding amounts, including interest and litigation costs, in full.
The developments highlight a growing zero-tolerance approach by rights holders towards payment defaults and unauthorised exploitation in South Asia’s lucrative sports media market, where marquee cricket properties continue to command premium valuations.
In the high-stakes game of cricket broadcasting, it seems JioStar has decided that when payments don’t come, the game stops and the rights go back to the rightful owner.
