JioStar Initiates Legal Action Against Zee Entertainment Over Unauthorized Airing of Bollywood Films: Report

Jiostar Launches Legal Battle Against Zee Entertainment Over Unauthorised Film Broadcasts

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Jiostar, the TV and online entertainment venture backed by Reliance and Walt Disney, has initiated a legal battle against Zee Entertainment, alleging that the broadcaster aired several Bollywood films without authorisation despite Jiostar holding the distribution rights. According to a Reuters report, Jiostar filed a 120-page plea with the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee, claiming that Zee persists in the "unauthorised broadcast and exploitation of the films”, further calling it a “habitual infringer".

The dispute centers around 12 different films that were telecast nearly 20 times by Zee, featuring major hits with prominent actors such as Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. Jiostar claims that these films were broadcast without its permission, despite holding the distribution rights. The films at the centre of the dispute include iconic box-office successes such as Deewaar, starring Amitabh Bachchan, and Tridev.

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The legal filing had not been disclosed earlier. Jiostar was created through the $8.5 billion merger of the Indian media assets of Reliance Industries and The Walt Disney Company in 2024. The committee has directed Zee Entertainment Enterprises to appear on May 25, warning that non-appearance would be treated as a decision to decline to take part in the mediation proceedings.

This comes after Zee Entertainment Enterprises approached a Delhi court in April, alleging that Jiostar had used its copyrighted music without permission. In what appears to be a retaliatory step, Jiostar initiated proceedings before a legal mediation panel on May 4, accusing Zee of airing several Bollywood films in 2025 despite the broadcast rights being held by the Reliance-led company at the time.

The two companies are also involved in a $1 billion arbitration proceeding in London related to a cricket rights agreement that fell through in 2024. Jiostar is the largest player in India's approximately $30 billion media and entertainment market, while Zee operates as a smaller competitor. According to Reliance, Jiostar commands a 34.2% share of India's television market, while Zee has said its market share has climbed to a four-year high of 18%.

Zee's shares extended their decline and were down 3.4% in Mumbai trading. Jiostar and Zee Entertainment Enterprises have refused to comment on the matter.

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