India’s JioStar, the online TV and entertainment venture of Reliance and Walt Disney, has initiated legal action against rival Zee Entertainment over alleged unauthorized streaming of Bollywood films to which it owns the rights, documents show.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s JioStar is the top player in India’s vibrant $30 billion media and entertainment industry, while Zee, one of India’s oldest media groups, is a smaller competitor.
They are already locked into a billion-dollar arbitration in London over a collapsed cricket licensing deal in 2024.
In April, Zee filed a lawsuit against JioStar in a Delhi court for unauthorized use of its copyrighted music. In an apparent reciprocal move, JioStar filed a case on May 4 before a legal mediation panel challenging Zee’s broadcast of some Bollywood films last year even though its rights at the time were vested in the Reliance-led entity, according to legal documents reviewed by Reuters.
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JioStar claims that Zee has streamed 12 iconic films around 20 times, including some blockbusters starring popular Bollywood film actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan.
In its 120-page plea, JioStar said Zee was a “habitual infringer” and accused Zee of continuing to “engage in unauthorized streaming and exploitation of movies”.
The deposit has not been previously reported.
The petition has been submitted to the Legal Services Commission of the Delhi High Court, which provides a dispute resolution mechanism aimed at arriving at amicable settlements. If the issue is not resolved, JioStar can escalate the case to court.
The documents said that the committee asked Zai to appear before it on May 25, adding that failure to do so would be considered a refusal to participate in the mediation.
Zee shares extended their losses after the Reuters report, falling by 3.4% in Mumbai trading.
JioStar, which was formed from Reliance and Disney’s $8.5 billion merger of their Indian media assets in 2024, and Zee declined to comment.
Big players, many legal notices
JioStar and Zee reach hundreds of millions of viewers through dozens of TV channels and streaming platforms each. Reliance says JioStar has a 34.2% market share of India’s TV market, while Zee says its share is at a four-year high of 18%.
In the music case filed in April, Zee is seeking $3 million from JioStar for allegedly using its music at least 50 times after certain licensing agreements expired.
Two sources with direct knowledge said JioStar is likely to seek upwards of 250 million rupees ($2.61 million) for alleged infringement of its rights in Bollywood films, although the figure has not yet been finalized.
Documents show that the Bollywood films case reached the court panel stage after the two sides exchanged more than a dozen legal notices and letters as of February 2025.
Participating films include hits such as 1975’s Deewaar (Wall), starring Amitabh Bachchan, and Tridev (Trinity). Jio said it owned the rights to these films and Zee allegedly streamed them without getting permission to do so.
Zee said the broadcast was “inadvertent and unintentional” and that it would exercise due care, but declined to take any responsibility for the damages that Reliance was seeking.
JioStar has also accused Zee of unauthorized broadcast of Aamir Khan starrer Dangal (Wrestling Bout). The 2016 film, based on a real-life Indian wrestler, was a huge hit in Bollywood and won several awards.
Zee denied any wrongdoing and said she obtained permission from the production company to broadcast the film.
