SC restrains Prasar Bharati from telecasting India-WI series

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has restrained Prasar Bharati, which runs Doordarshan, from using the live feed from Ten Sports of India’s cricket tour of the West Indies.

A bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice LK Panta ruled on Tuesday that the exclusive right to telecast the series rests with Ten Sports.

It warned Prasar Bharati against taking any “coercive step” to effect compliance with government guidelines that make it mandatory for broadcasters to share feeds of major sports events with Doordarshan.

Prasar Bharati will now have to pay the Dubai-based channel, owned by Taj Television, if it wants Doordarshan viewers to follow the West Indies tour.

The state broadcaster had refused to pay for sharing the live feed from the West Indies. But Ten Sports said if the matches were simulcast on Doordarshan, it would suffer a big loss.