JUDGMENT

RANJAN GOGOI, J.

1. Leave granted in all the Special Leave Petitions.

2. The precise origin of the game of cricket, though largely unknown, has been traced, at least, to late 15th Century England. With the expansion of British Empire the game of cricket travelled to different parts of the globe including India. Today, if there has to be a national game in India, cricket would certainly be a front-runner. The packed stands in all cricketing venues is certainly not the full picture. Live telecast of all major cricketing events, domestic and international, is beamed to millions of homes in the country. Telecasting/Broadcasting rights are leased out by the organizing body i.e. Board of Control for Cricket in India (hereinafter referred as the “BCCI”) through competitive bidding. These signals (live feeds) are transmitted to millions of Indian homes by the Doordarshan; cable operators and Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators. The rights of these entities in respect of the live telecast of major cricketing events in the country and the consequential revenue implications are the core issues arising in these groups of appeals which have been filed in the following circumstances.

3. BCCI i