A promotional campaign ahead of the new Indian Premier League season has triggered a legal dispute between a major Indian broadcaster and one of the league’s most successful franchises.
Sun TV Network Limited has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Chennai Super Kings Limited in the Madras High Court over the alleged unauthorised use of audio content from multiple films in a team jersey promotional video, according to a report by The Hindu.
Sun TV Network’s parent company Sun Group also owns the IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Lawsuit targets jersey promotion campaign
The case centres on a promotional video released on the franchise’s social media platforms to unveil its jersey for IPL 2026. In its court filings, Sun TV Network alleged that the video incorporated soundtracks, background scores and dialogues from the Rajinikanth films Jailer, Jailer 2 and Coolie.
The media company argued that these elements were used without obtaining permission from the rights holder. The content reportedly appeared in a promotional clip shared across major platforms including Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook as part of the franchise’s marketing push for the upcoming season.
Sun TV Network has sought damages of INR 1 crore (approx. US$ 108K) in the suit and has also requested the court to examine the commercial gains generated from the alleged unauthorised use of its copyrighted material.
Court proceedings and CSK response
During proceedings before Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, counsel representing Sun TV Network informed the court that the franchise had already stopped using the disputed content after receiving an email notice highlighting the alleged infringement.
The communication was sent on March 1, 2026, and warned against continued use of the audio tracks and dialogues linked to the films.
Representatives for Chennai Super Kings told the court that the franchise had complied with the request and removed the material. The team also stated that if similar content were to be used in future promotions, it would first obtain the necessary permissions from the relevant copyright holders.
The judge recorded the statement and directed the franchise to file an affidavit confirming its position.
Copyright claim linked to film production rights
In its plaint, Sun TV Network asserted that it holds the production rights to the films referenced in the promotional video. The company produces films through its Sun Pictures banner and has invested heavily in multiple projects within the Tamil film industry.
The network also stated that music composer Anirudh Ravichander had transferred all exploitation rights for the film music to the production house through a written agreement. A redacted version of that agreement was submitted before the court as part of the legal filings.
Sun TV Network operates a portfolio of 37 television channels and reaches more than 95 million households across India. The broadcaster also has international distribution spanning markets including the United States, Canada, Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Commercial angle behind the dispute
The lawsuit further highlighted the commercial aspect of the promotional campaign tied to the jersey launch. According to the filing, the franchise used the film content while promoting merchandise linked to the new season.
Each Chennai Super Kings jersey associated with the campaign was reportedly priced at INR 2,399 (approx. US$ 26).
Sun TV Network has asked the court to order the franchise to disclose the revenue generated from the promotional activity and requested that the proceeds be deposited with the court until the case is resolved.
The broadcaster has also sought an injunction preventing Chennai Super Kings from using any of the contested material in future marketing content without proper authorisation.
