JioStar can now block illegal cricket streams as they appear

DELHI: JioStar India has secured a potent weapon in its battle against digital pirates. The Delhi high court has granted the broadcaster sweeping powers to block illegal streaming websites on the fly, with no fresh court orders needed, as cricket fever grips the subcontinent.

The ex-parte injunction covers two marquee tournaments: the ICC Under-19 men’s cricket World Cup, running from 15th January to 6th February 2026, and the ICC men’s T20 cricket World Cup, scheduled from 7th February to 8th March 2026. JioStar holds exclusive broadcast and digital streaming rights for both competitions under a media rights agreement with the International Cricket Council, which it monetises through its television channels and OTT platform, JioHotstar.

The court recognised the whack-a-mole nature of modern piracy. Rogue websites pop up through mirrors and redirect domains faster than authorities can shut them down. Any delay in blocking, the judges observed, would inflict irreparable harm, drain revenues and dilute JioStar’s exclusive rights.

Domain name registrars, internet service providers, the department of telecommunications and the ministry of electronics and information technology must now block identified rogue websites immediately upon JioStar’s say-so. The dynamic enforcement mechanism means newly discovered infringing sites can be throttled forthwith during the tournaments, with no need to queue up before a judge each time.

The ruling underscores a hardening judicial stance. Injunctions in piracy cases must be effective, dynamic and technology-responsive, especially where content is generated and infringed in real time. For JioStar, it is game on. For the pirates, the net is closing fast.