As cops crack down on restaurants screening IPL matches without licence, cricket fans have only one option left the TV set at home
As cops crack down on restaurants screening IPL matches withoutu00a0 licence, cricket fans have only one option left the TV set at home
The second edition of the Indian Premier League seems to be jinxed. As if shifting the tournament to South Africa wasn't enough, fans have to face yet another blow. They may have to spend the rest of the season watching those gigantic sixes and sexy cheerleaders on the sad 21" at home, thanks to the crack down on eateries screening the matches illegally.u00a0
Spoilt sport
The second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) seems to be jinxed. Fans who had just overcome the shock of the tournament moving to South Africa have to now contend with another disappointment. Pubs and restaurants, which had been attracting substantialu00a0 numbers by screening the IPL on big screens, can no longer do so, according to a Delhi High Court order.
The HC order, applicable to restaurants across India, issued on Monday cracked down on eateries and bars screening the matches illegally. This was in response to a petition filed by MSM Satellite Pvt Limited, which owns SET Max, the official broadcaster of IPL 2.
Raid at Colaba pub
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And the Mumbai police are taking the HC directive very seriously. On Wednesday night, as patrons were engrossed in the game between Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers at Bootleggers, a pub in Colaba, the police stalled the screening. They arrested the manager of the pub and even seized the set-top box as the match was being screened illegally.u00a0
A team from Novex Communication, which has the sole cable distribution rights for all Sony Channels, reported that an Andheri-based restaurant Time and Again was among the many restaurants in the city that was screening the game without acquiring the required rights from Set MAX.
While Novex officials claim that they have clippings of patrons enjoying the game at Time and Again, the restaurant manager rubbished the allegations. The manager Sanjay Patil said, "Forget Set MAX, we are not screening any MSM channel."
False allegations
Novex has listed around 13 restaurants and pubs that are screening the matches illegally (see box), but most of them have blatantly denied the charge. A spokesperson from Aurus, a restaurant and lounge bar in Juhu, said, "We do not have screens in our lounge and hence screening the IPL is out of the question."u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Bandra's famous Vie Lounge also appears on the list, but claims that they showed distributors the door when they approached them with the licence to screen the tournament. "We denied their proposal, as we were not interested in screening the matches," said an employee at the lounge.
It is only to stop restaurant owners from illegally cashing in on the IPL fever that MSM and Novex moved court.
"We filed a petition as the number of restaurants screening IPL matches and cable operators supplying the signals to commercial places, illegally has escalated. I know the viewers will be unhappy but we need to curb the illegal practice," said Ketan Kanakia, owner of Novex.
MSM channels are..
SET Max, AXN, Discovery, Animal Planet, MTV, Nickelodean, Discovery Travel & Living, Animax, NDTV 24x7, NDTV Profit, SAB.
Catch the u00a0game at...u00a0u00a0
Leopold Cafe, Colaba
Noodle Bar
Bonobo, Bandra
Pop Tate's
Olive, Khar
Henry Tham
Tequila Lounge, Andheri
Hungama, Juhu
Cream Centre
Tendulkar's, Colaba
Gordon House Hotel
Urban Tadka
Flags, Colaba
Most five star hotels are licensed to show the IPL games
On the blacklist
Aurus, Juhu
Vie Lounge, Bandra
Cafe Mondegar, Colaba
U Turn, Khar
Red Box, Andheri
Time and Again, Andheri
Spring Field, Borivli
Suyogi, Gorai
Hotel Prakash, Goregaon
Picasso, Goregaon
Brass Anchor, Borivli
Azzuri, Chembur
Bootleggers, Colaba
The lists have been provided by Novexu00a0
Rs 60,000
The amount one has to pay annually to acquire the licence to screen MSM channels
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