TDSAT adjourns Tata Play–Culver Max carriage dispute to March 30

New Delhi: The broadcast carriage dispute between direct-to-home operator Tata Play and broadcaster Culver Max Entertainment was adjourned on Friday. The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) postponed the matter to March 30.

A bench led by Chairperson Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel and Member Sanjeev Banzal took up the petition briefly before postponing it.

Senior advocate Amit Sibal appeared for Culver Max along with Sidharth Chopra, Swikriti Singhania, Ranjeet Singh Sidhu and Gaurav Lasiyal. 

Tata Play was represented by senior counsel Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Meet Malhotra.

The case stems from May 2025, when Tata Play removed 25 Culver Max channels from its DTH packs, triggering a dispute over interconnection terms and compliance with regulations. 

Culver Max subsequently issued a disconnection notice dated May 21, 2025, claiming subscription dues of Rs 128.42 crore up to March 31, 2025.

Tata Play challenged the notice before TDSAT. On May 27, 2025, the tribunal stayed the proposed disconnection subject to Tata Play depositing Rs 40 crore, which was deposited on June 3. 

In a further order on May 30, 2025, TDSAT restrained Culver Max from disrupting services, noting Tata Play’s position that Sony channels continued to be available a la carte and only Tata Play’s bouquet packaging had been changed.

Culver Max later sought a recall of the interim protection, alleging misstatements by Tata Play and claiming more than Rs 63 crore was still unpaid even after adjustments. 

Tata Play disputed the allegation, arguing that payments had been made and that the remaining differences were part of reconciliation and counterclaims.

In earlier proceedings, the tribunal declined to revisit the interim relief, holding that disputes over dues and reconciliation would be examined at the stage of final adjudication and that detailed accounting could not be settled in interim hearings. The matter is now listed for March 30.

In a recent hearing, TDSAT allowed Culver Max to withdraw its audit petition against Tata Play after the broadcaster filed the completed subscriber audit report on record.