Illegal IPL Streaming Case: What Is Bollywood’s Connection To Fairplay And Mahadev Betting Apps?

Tamannaah Bhatia was summoned by the Maharashtra cyber cell about the illegal IPL matches streaming case on April 25. The actress has been asked to appear before the Maharashtra cyber personnel on April 29. Reportedly, Sanjay Dutt's name also surfaced in relation to the case as well. Earlier this week, he was summoned to appear for interrogation, however, he was unable to mark his attendance due to his schedule and requested a new date. 

What is the illegal IPL streaming case?

FairPlay app came under fire for broadcasting the 2023 IPL matches illegally. The popular cricket tournament's exclusive broadcasting rights were controlled by Viacom 18, and the app did not get approval from them for the streaming. The broadcaster suffered enormous losses as a result of the alleged unlawful broadcast.

To put things in perspective, Viacom 18 paid Rs 20,500 Crore to purchase the rights to stream live IPL matches. This was for the years 2023–2027. While there were 74 matches scheduled for each season in 2023 and 2024, there are 84 scheduled for 2025 and 2026, and 94 matches scheduled for 2027. Therefore, the cost of streaming IPL matches comes down to Rs 33 crore each. Viacom 18 spent this amount to obtain the streaming rights, which give them the sole right to stream the tournament across the Indian subcontinent. 

Developed for the Indian market, the FairPlay app functions as a betting platform and can be downloaded for free on both the iOS and Android operating systems. There is a large selection of sports and entertainment wagering available on the betting exchange platform. According to their website, Cricket is the most popular sport on FairPlay, followed by Football and Tennis. All sports matches are streamed live on FairPlay for the player's ease to "watch and win at the same time", said the website.

Why were Tamannaah Bhatia and Sanjay Dutt summoned? 

Tamannaah and Sanjay Dutt are said to have supported and promoted the FairPlay app, according to ANI. The Maharashtra cyber cell called them in for what they claimed was encouraging people to watch the IPL matches on the betting app. Both the actors have been summoned to testify in court and provide a statement. The statements of musician Badshah and actress Jacqueline Fernandez have already been recorded by the Maharashtra cyber cell.

What is FairPlay’s connection to the Mahadev betting app?

FairPlay is a subsidiary of the Mahadev online gaming app, that offers facilities for unauthorised betting on a variety of live games, including football card games, cricket, poker, badminton, tennis, and chance games. Actors Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, who had featured in advertisements for the Mahadev betting app, made news last year when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) called them in for interrogation. Investigative authorities began to focus on the app following a ₹200 crore all-cash wedding in the United Arab Emirates in February of last year.