- Access the court order regarding Sony’s cricket coverage here.
The Delhi High Court has issued an ex parte interim order directing internet service providers and domain registrars to block eight websites accused of illegally streaming cricket matches broadcast under Sony Pictures Networks India’s exclusive rights. This order was issued while two England cricket tours are ongoing.
What does the order say? Justice Jyoti Singh determined that Sony established a prima facie case for an ex parte ad interim injunction, with the balance of convenience favouring the company against defendants one through eight. The judge emphasised the need to address recurring piracy of copyrighted content firmly and highlighted the urgency, as both the India Tour of England for women, which began May 25, and the men’s tour, which began July 1, 2026, are ongoing and will conclude this month.
The domain registrars named in the case were instructed to block and suspend eight rogue domains immediately upon receiving the order. These sites — cricfree.cyou, topstream.pro, thegamesurf.com, crichd.top, cracksports.me, mainstreams.io, qatarstreams.me, and vipstand.cc—are registered across five registrars. Internet service providers named as defendants were also directed to block these websites upon receipt of the order. Additionally, India’s telecom and IT ministries were instructed to issue blocking directives to all ISPs.
Why did the court act? Sony’s counsel argued that the sites qualify as “rogue websites” under existing Delhi HC precedent. The court observed that these sites primarily transmit and stream Sony’s copyrighted broadcasts without authorisation, systematically upload large volumes of infringing content, lack verifiable contact or ownership information, and use pseudonymous setups that demonstrate disregard for copyright.
Delhi HC further noted that the sites feature organised homepages with clear content categories and promote upcoming matches to attract visitors. The court stated that these patterns indicate a sustained, deliberate effort rather than isolated incidents.
Sony’s lawyers also noted that these sites use domain-privacy services provided by registrars, making it nearly impossible to identify or contact the operators.
What does Sony hold rights to?
Sony, previously known as Culver Max Entertainment India and a member of the Sony Group, is a leading Indian media company. It operates approximately 29 television channels across sports, general entertainment, movies, and regional content, including Sony Ten, Sony Six, SET, SAB, and Sony Max. Its channels reach over 700 million viewers in India and are available in more than 150 countries, in addition to its OTT platform, Sony LIV.
The suit concerns Sony’s exclusive media rights to various cricket and multi-sport events, obtained through agreements with organisations such as the England and Wales Cricket Board, New Zealand Cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket, the Asian Cricket…
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