Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and The Walt Disney Company have finalised a joint venture to combine Reliance’s media and JioCinema businesses with Disney’s Star India. This new entity aims to deliver diverse content across television and digital platforms, focusing on entertainment and sports to meet growing consumer demand in India and beyond.
Jio-Disney Merger: Details
This venture merges well-known brands such as ‘Star’ and ‘Colours’ on television and ‘JioCinema’ and ‘Hotstar’ digitally, creating a robust media ecosystem with over 100 TV channels and a 50-million-strong digital subscriber base. The entity also holds rights to sports content, covering cricket, football, and other popular events.
The digital platform will be called Jiostar. For those who don’t know, the website Jiostar.com recently went live. We shall get more details on it, including, the subscription prices soon.
Under this collaboration, RIL has invested Rs 11,500 crore to support the venture’s growth. The joint entity, valued at approximately Rs 70,352 crore, sees ownership stakes divided among Reliance, Viacom18, and Disney. Nita M. Ambani will lead as Chairperson, while Uday Shankar will serve as Vice Chairperson, overseeing strategic direction.
What About the Approvals?
The transaction received approvals from regulatory bodies, including the Competition Commission of India and anti-trust authorities in multiple countries, ensuring compliance across international markets. This venture is anticipated to impact India’s entertainment industry by offering affordable content options and expanding digital reach to the Indian diaspora worldwide.
What’s More?
RIL further strengthened its position by acquiring Paramount Global’s 13.01% share in Viacom18, bringing its total stake to 70.49%. This strategic alliance is expected to provide substantial opportunities for innovation within India’s rapidly evolving media and digital landscape.
