#e4mExclusive:  Delhi Crime Branch cracks down on illegal IPTV network with 5,000 subscribers

An illegal IPTV service offering access to more than 10,000 live television channels and premium OTT content for as little as Rs 100 per month amassed an estimated 5,000 subscribers, prompting a widening investigation by the Delhi Crime Branch into what authorities believe was an organized digital piracy network.

The service, OM IPTV, allegedly streamed live television channels, movies, JioStar Originals and other copyrighted content belonging to JioStar and multiple content owners without authorization. 

According to people familiar with the investigation, the platform operated on a low-cost subscription model, charging approximately Rs 100 per month, enabling it to rapidly build a subscriber base of around 5,000 users.

The scale of the operation highlights the growing commercial threat posed by low-cost IPTV piracy platforms that undercut legitimate streaming and pay-TV services by offering thousands of premium channels and on-demand titles at a fraction of official subscription prices.

The investigation stems from a complaint filed by JioStar, following which FIR was registered by the Delhi Crime Branch on May 29, 2026, under Sections 318(4), 61(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 63 and 65 of the Copyright Act, and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act.

Rs 100 subscriptions, thousands of users

Investigators say OM IPTV allegedly built its business around an inexpensive monthly subscription model that gave users access to over 10,000 live TV channels and thousands of video-on-demand titles, including movies, premium sports broadcasts and original programming.

While the monthly fee of around Rs 100 is a fraction of legitimate television and OTT subscriptions, the estimated 5,000 subscribers suggest the operation had developed into a commercially significant piracy business.

Media companies have increasingly warned that such IPTV services are eroding subscription revenues by bundling premium sports, entertainment channels and OTT libraries into a single illegal package sold at heavily discounted prices.

Probe traces piracy supply chain

Following registration of the FIR, JioStar continued to submit documentary and electronic evidence to investigators, helping the Delhi Crime Branch identify individuals involved in the IPTV distribution network.

The first breakthrough came on June 12, when investigators took Ankit Bansal, associated with OM TV, into custody.

During interrogation, Bansal allegedly disclosed that he sourced OM IPTV subscriptions in Haryana before distributing them to end users.

The disclosure shifted the investigation beyond the platform itself to the wider distribution chain supplying illegal IPTV subscriptions.

Crackdown in Haryana

Based on intelligence gathered during the investigation, the Delhi Crime Branch carried out a second enforcement action in Rewari, Haryana, on July 15.

Investigators searched the premises of the accused invloved, examined the operational setup and seized mobile phones and other digital devices for forensic examination.

According to the investigation, Singh appears to have functioned as a reseller of the IPTV subscriptions rather than the principal operator of the platform.

He has been served a notice directing him to join the investigation and appear before the Delhi Crime Branch on July 17.

Targeting the piracy economy

The action marks a shift in anti-piracy enforcement from blocking illegal streaming websites to dismantling the commercial ecosystem that sustains them.

The FIR alleges that OM IPTV operated through a structured IPTV infrastructure involving websites, applications, subscription credentials and payment mechanisms to monetize unauthorized access to copyrighted content. 

Industry executives say the investigation is significant because it targets not only platform operators but also downstream distributors and resellers, reflecting a strategy aimed at disrupting the entire piracy value chain.

For broadcasters, the combination of low-priced subscriptions, thousands of paying users, and massive content libraries has turned IPTV piracy into a scalable commercial business rather than isolated copyright infringement—making enforcement against the full distribution network increasingly critical.