What's happening to screenings of cricket matches: Are cafés breaking the law?
As the much-anticipated ICC Men's T20 World Cup finals came to a close on Sunday with India’s historic win, the entire country erupted in celebration. India became the first country to win the tournament on home ground and successfully defend its title in ICC Men's T20 World Cup championship. Sunday afternoon witnessed a classic case of “Indian cricket fever” with every lane coming alive as enthusiastic fans gathered for packed screenings in cafés, restaurants, and public spaces. Many of these cafés and bars were, in fact, charging hefty entry fees for such screenings. What was surprising to notice was that some of these establishments seemed to simply project an individual subscription on a big screen and mint money off the same. This made me wonder: How are matches being broadcast to such large crowds? When we purchase a subscription to an OTT platform, for example that of JioStar, the same is intended only for private and individual viewership. Our subscription is linked to...