India: World Cup carriage dispute escalates
June 21, 2018
By Chris Forrester
Sony Pictures Network, its Indian general entertainment bundle of channels, has cut its transmissions to Kolkatta’s MSO cable operator Manthan over alleged unpaid subscription fees.
The cessation of services was doubly embarrassing for the giant MSO given that Sony has exclusive coverage of the FIFA World Cup on air at the moment.
Sony’s channels were cut a few days ago with reports that the Manthan debts top 11 Crore Rupees (€1.4m).
This isn’t the first time that Sony has resorted to extreme action. It also cut signals to Manthan during the India Premier League cricket tournament earlier this year, again citing unpaid fees.