All live sporting events broadcast by the newly merged Disney-Reliance business in India, including Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket, will only be available on Disney's Hotstar app, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. affair.
The decision marks the first major integration of the businesses and signals that billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance, which owns the majority of the new company, does not plan to close the Disney platform, although it is unclear whether Hotstar could change its name.
Disney declined to comment, while Reliance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Disney and Reliance in February agreed to a merger of their media assets worth $8.5 billion (approximately Rs 71,455 crore) to create India's largest entertainment company, with a combined 120 television channels and two streaming apps, but they gave no details about how they would be combined or operated. after the deal.
Reliance's JioCinema has the rights to IPL cricket, a moneymaker and one of the most streamed content, as well as the Winter Olympics and the Indian Football Super League.
Hotstar has rights to International Cricket Council tournaments in India, the English Football Premier League and the domestic Professional Kabaddi League.
Hotstar chief Sajith Sivanandan held a public meeting this week to inform staff about the decision to shift live sports broadcasts from the Reliance app, one of the sources said.
The decision was influenced by Hotstar's better back-end technology for handling live content as well as delivering targeted ads, the person said, adding that Hotstar aimed to complete the transition in January.
A second source said it was unclear how other entertainment content could be integrated, including whether the company would continue to operate two apps or close one.
The merger was approved by India's competition regulator in August after the companies offered concessions to ease concerns about their management of cricket broadcast rights, including a commitment not to increase advertising rates unreasonably.
Hotstar has become known for its prowess in handling live content flawlessly in cricket-mad India, where it is common for millions of people to watch events at the same time. It set a simultaneous viewership record of 59 million during the final of the men's cricket World Cup last year.
© Thomson Reuters 2024
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