PTI

New Delhi: Leading sports broadcaster ESPN Star said it will take legal action against TataSky alleging the direct-to-home service provider of indulging in arm twisting tactics and eroding brand equity of its channels by ‘unilaterally and arbitrarily´ discontinuing them.

“After the expiry of our agreement in March, we are still providing them signals as we are involved in another litigation with them,” ESPN Software India managing director RC Venkateish told PTI.

“We will be moving the Delhi High Court against TataSky on two-three specific aspects,” Venkateish said, however, declining to share the details.

He also said the company was also contemplating moving to fair trade regulator MRTPC against TataSky.

“All the action they have taken is try and derive commercial advantage by putting our channels into disadvantageous position and eroding our brand equity and in the process they have also inconvenienced their own customers,” Venkateish said.

Stating that TataSky was “indulging in arm twisting tactics”, he said the DTH provider was holding ESPN Star to “ransom” by asking “crazy and unreasonable discounts”.

“We have been having dialogue with them. We have offered 40% discount up to a certain number of subscribers and a 50% discount above that on the rates we give to cable operators. On top of that they want further discount and this is quite crazy,” he said.