Global Mergers, Local Ripples: Consolidations reshape India's ad land as clients seek 'single-window' partners

We will continue acquisition-led strategy in India: Havas Chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré

Consolidation or Collision? How ad land’s mergers create crisis of overlapping of leadership roles

Meta’s policy shift could spark 30% surge in RMG ad spending in India

Digital Entertainment Summit 2025 to debut in Delhi as India stakes its claim on the future of global media

Nobody’s Perfect Retro Porsche Ad

In Conversation With Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard

Shahid Kapoor And Varun Ganjoo Speaks On PokerBaazi's Campaign

In conversation with IHCL’s Puneet Chhatwal & GroupM’s Kate Scott-Dawkins

Why are brands including e-sports in their sports marketing itinerary?

Storyboard18 x The English Nut: How to pronounce these 10 brand names

Experts' Take On Reinvention Of Ad Campaigns Through Technology

Experts Speak On Key Emerging Trends In Cannes Lions Entries

Leaders of the future have to be outstanding human beings: Nestle MD

In conversation with VMLY&R’s Hari Ramanathan

With the Delhi High Court granting JioStar a first-of-its-kind “superlative injunction,” broadcasters such as Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) and OTT platforms are likely to piggyback on the judgement to seek proactive, sweeping anti-piracy relief. The order marks a shift toward anticipatory protection, empowering content owners to act fast against mobile apps and websites streaming pirated material.

The superlative injunction, granted by Justice Saurabh Banerjee on May 29, allows JioStar to take down unauthorized piracy platforms — including newly appearing websites, mirror domains, and mobile apps — without having to return to court for every violation. The legal breakthrough comes amid JioStar’s ongoing battle against platforms like IPTV Smarters that illegally streamed marquee events and other sports content.

The broader implications are significant. Legal experts believe ZEEL, SPNI and OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video among others — owning expansive content libraries and live sports rights — could invoke this precedent to obtain similar injunctions, dramatically improving enforcement capabilities.

<strong>Siddharth Chandrashekhar, Bombay High Court lawyer</strong>, emphasized the judgment’s strategic value for large broadcasters, “Broadcasters now have something much akin a legal template. SPNI, ZEEL, etc., can piggyback on this ruling to seek similar super-injunctions, shielding revenue-intensive content and combating link farms before they sprout. However Star's  legal, technical, and financial  muscle is not universally replicable.”

Chandrashekhar said, “Smaller players often lack tools for real-time monitoring, digital evidence collection, or jurisdictional enforcement. Domain hopping remains a real threat unless ISPs act swiftly and uniformly. While the precedent is powerful, enforcement consistency and digital traceability will determine whether others can replicate Star’s success.”

According to “The Rob Report” released by EY and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the size of India’s piracy economy was ₹224 billion in 2023, ranking fourth against the segment wise revenue generated by India’s Media and Entertainment industry. Of this, ₹137 billion was generated from pirated content from movie theaters while ₹87 billion was generated from OTT platforms’ content. The potential GST losses of up to ₹43 billion were estimated to have been incurred.

<strong>Vindhya S Mani, Partner at Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys</strong>, called the judgment a milestone in India’s IP protection landscape: “As a proactive IP jurisdiction, Indian judiciary as well as lawmakers continue to take different measures to tackle evolving forms of piracy. Therefore, the law and the Courts are well-suited to tackle piracy. The aspect of enforcement of laws and Court decisions is also improving with measures such as dynamic and superlative interim injunction measures.” 

Mani said, “The introduction of superlative injunctions will broaden the scope of relief in infringement actions by taking mobile applications, rogue websites, mirror applications, mirror websites, etc., within its scope. As a consequence of the broader scope of relief, broadcasters would now be able to avoid duplicative litigation and enforce a superlative injunction against all rogue platforms, thereby reducing costs and making enforcement more efficient.” 

Storyboard18 had first reported about Gujarat’s Gandhinagar Cyber Police, acting on a complaint from Star India, had arrested an alleged kingpin behind an illicit Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service that attracted roughly five million subscribers and generated an estimated ₹700 crore (US $84 million) in annual revenue.  

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/television/exclusive-gujarat-police-star-india-bust-%E2%82%B9700-crore-iptv-racket-streaming-pakistani-channels-66250.htm">EXCLUSIVE: Gujarat police, Star India bust ₹700 crore IPTV racket streaming Pakistani channels</a>

A senior counsel on condition of anonymity said, “OTT platforms can invoke this precedent to shield marquee releases. The logic behind anticipatory injunctions applies equally to Netflix originals and Prime debuts, especially when pirated versions are out within minutes of launch. However, OTT piracy is more fragmented and there are various mediums/applications Internet Pirates use such as Telegram, VPNs, torrenting, shadow websites. OTTs got a new firewall, but hackers still know the backdoor. The court gave OTTs a desi shield. Now they need a global sword.” 

India may have just armed its broadcasters and content creators with a legal sledgehammer — now, it's a question of how smartly and swiftly they swing it.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/breaking-major-iptv-piracy-ring-busted-in-dubai-following-disney-star-complaint-42678.htm">Read More: Major IPTV piracy ring busted following Disney Star complaint</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/television/gujarat-police-probes-radicalization-syria-links-in-%E2%82%B9700-crore-iptv-piracy-case-66419.htm">Read More: Gujarat police probes radicalization, Syria links in ₹700 crore IPTV piracy case</a>

ZEEL, SPNI to piggyback on JioStar’s super injunction in piracy crackdown

In a major development for cricket broadcasting, JioStar and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) have announced a strategic collaboration to share media rights for India’s upcoming tours of England in 2025 and 2026. The partnership, unveiled today, promises to redefine how Indian cricket fans experience the game across digital and linear platforms.

As part of this groundbreaking agreement, JioStar will exclusively stream all matches—including Tests, ODIs, and T20 Internationals—on its digital platform, JioHotstar. SPNI, meanwhile, will retain television rights, broadcasting the series on its Sony Sports Network channels.

The marquee event of the collaboration is the highly anticipated five-match Test series in England, beginning June 20, 2025. The series will be live-streamed on JioHotstar and simultaneously aired on Sony Entertainment Television, ensuring seamless access for cricket enthusiasts across screens.

Commenting on the deal, Sanjog Gupta, CEO – Sports and Live experiences, JioStar, said, “This collaboration is a win-win for all stakeholders involved - especially Indian Cricket fans - and serves the broader sporting landscape. The combination of JioHostar's deep digital footprint with SPNI's broadcast network will universalise access to India's tours of England. As the habitual destination for Cricket viewing, JioHotstar is committed to offering millions of fans - inclusive, intuitive, interactive and immersive viewing experiences. We will continue to leverage the power of our story-telling, consumer-focussed product features and connectivity to unlock infinite possibilities of serving fans on our platforms.”

The series kicks off with the first Test at Headingley, Leeds on June 20, followed by matches in Birmingham (July 2), Lord’s (July 10), Manchester (July 23) and concluding at The Oval (July 31). The arrangement also includes the 2026 white-ball series, comprising three ODIs and five T20Is, to be played during India’s return tour of England.

The collaboration also covers the 2026 white-ball series, featuring three One-Day Internationals and five T20 Internationals during India’s subsequent tour of England.
 
“We are thrilled to bring this fantastic partnership to cricket fans for India’s tour to England! Backed by the power of the Sony TV network and the digital prowess of JioStar - This first of its kind partnership will hope to redefine cricket coverage. Our deep thanks to our partners in ECB for their support,” said Gaurav Banerjee, MD and CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India.

Sony Pictures Networks India secured exclusive India rights to England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) properties in 2023 under an eight-year deal running through 2031. 
 
This announcement signifies a new chapter in Indian sports broadcasting—highlighting an industry-wide shift towards collaboration, convergence, and innovative content delivery.


JioStar and SPNI team up for exclusive coverage of India’s 2025-26 England Tours

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has called for a prohibition on the sale of Wi-Fi 6E routers that operate on the 6GHz spectrum band for data transmission. Alleging that these routers are being sold through various e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, by offline traders, COAI, whose members include Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone, has sent a letter to the Department of Telecom (DoT) on April 15.


In the letter, COAI highlighted the absence of a government decision regarding the use of frequencies in the 6GHz spectrum band. The association argued that selling equipment for 6GHz band utilisation without proper assignment or declaration by the government is illegal and should be immediately banned in the country.



“We would like to submit the DoT is yet to take a policy decision related to the six GHZ brand utilisation. Therefore, any sale of such Wi-Fi 6C products which utilise the six GHZ spectrum band, in delicensed manner is illegal and such sale would only result in unauthorised transmissions in our country, COAI director, general SP coach said in the letter,” said SP Kochhar, Director General of COAI.

Telecom industry body COAI pushes for ban on unlicensed Wi-Fi 6E router sales

Meta and an e-commerce venture between India’s Reliance Retail and Jio Platforms are all set to bring grocery shopping to WhatsApp. Touted as a global-first end-to-end shopping experience on the popular instant messaging platform, the launch has been tested since the last two years.
 
Users in India can start shopping on JioMart via WhatsApp by simply sending ‘Hi’ to the JioMart number on WhatsApp.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director, Reliance Industries says, “Mark (Zuckerberg) and I shared a vision of bringing more people and businesses online and creating truly innovative solutions that will add convenience to the daily lives of every Indian. The JioMart on WhatsApp experience furthers our commitment of enabling a simple and convenient way of online shopping to millions of Indians.”

JioMart on WhatsApp will enable people in India, including those who have never shopped online before, to seamlessly browse through JioMart’s entire grocery catalog. Shoppers can add items to their cart and make a payment to complete the purchase — all without leaving the WhatsApp chat.
 
WhatsApp, which is used by about half a billion Indians each month, got the approval to extend its UPI-powered payments service to 100 million users in the country earlier this year after several delays. If the shopping experience picks up then it could be a major revenue source for WhatsApp which has largely avoided serving ads to app users.

“Excited to launch our partnership with JioMart in India. This is our first-ever end-to-end shopping experience on WhatsApp -- people can now buy groceries from JioMart right in a chat. Business messaging is an area with real momentum and chat-based experiences like this will be the go-to way people and businesses communicate in the years to come,” says Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a statement.

 

JIO