What’s an industry shaking decision?
Reliance Industries is set to shake up the streaming world by merging two of India’s biggest platforms, Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema.
But, this is no news, right? The deal has been in the news since February. But, something might shock you.
Even though Disney+ Hotstar is currently much bigger with over 500 million downloads compared to JioCinema’s 100 million, Reliance plans to create a one-stop destination for all kinds of entertainment.
Earlier this year, RIL and Disney agreed to merge their media companies, Star and Viacom18, into an $8.5-billion media powerhouse. This new entity would include over 100 TV channels and two streaming platforms. However, to streamline operations and reduce costs, RIL is now leaning towards focusing solely on JioCinema as the main platform.
This means that Disney+Hotstar may merge into JioCinema.
If the merger goes through, JioCinema will become India’s largest streaming app with over 125,000 hours of content.
The merger is still awaiting approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI). But, if it indeed takes place then it would be a havoc on the existing streaming industry of India.
The other platforms will have to seriously rethink their strategies because the two coming together will be a force to reckon with.
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