TDSAT rejects AIDCF plea to prevent Disney Star from offering ICC cricket

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has rejected a request from the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) to prevent Disney Star from offering free mobile access to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 through its OTT platform.
The AIDCF had approached the TDSAT with the plea that Disney Star’s free access to such a premium event could be detrimental to other service providers and upset the competitive balance in the sector. OTT platforms have been under scrutiny regarding regulatory matters and have triggered numerous debates in the country, often touching upon issues related to fair competition, pricing, content regulation, etc.
TDSAT, upon evaluating the plea, determined that Disney Star’s offering of free access to the cricket event on mobile through its OTT platform does not fall under the regulatory purview of the TRAI Act, at least prima facie.
This judgment means that, at a preliminary view without thorough investigation, OTT services are not subjected to the same regulatory guidelines as conventional broadcasting and telecommunication services.