TDSAT issues notice to ESPN on Sun Direct petition

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT)has issued notice to sports broadcaster ESPN for allegedly not providing its channels to Sun Direct, the direct-to-home (DTH) venture of South India-based Sun TV group.

Admitting the petition filed by Sun Direct, the broadcast tribunal has directed ESPN to file its reply within a week. In its petition, the Maran family-owned DTH company contended that despite several requests, ESPN failed to provide its signals.

The DTH operator further submitted that during the negotiations ESPN put restrictive conditions such as putting its channels on the basic tier of its packages, which was violative of laws laid down by the sectoral regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

It was also noted by the TDSAT bench, headed by Justice Kumar, that ESPN should share its signals. The tribunal also directed the operator to file its rejoinder to ESPN’s reply within two weeks.