Mukesh Ambani’s Masterstroke: Reliance-Disney merger set to dominate OTT; What’s next for Jio Cinema and Disney+ Hotstar?

Disney+ Hotstar has over 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store, while Jio Cinema has only 100 million downloads. Reliance and Walt Disney signed the merger agreement for Viacom18 and Star in February. After the merger, the company will operate more than 100 channels and two streaming platforms, with a net worth of $8.5 billion.

The merger between Reliance’s Viacom18 and Star India is in its final phase. Sources say that after the merger, Reliance will have only a single streaming platform: Disney+ Hotstar. This will be the primary streaming service of Reliance Industries. The company is planning to stream IPL 2025 on Disney+ Hotstar. 

Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is considering the strategy for Disney+ Hotstar once the merger is completed. Company officials have discussed the potential merger of Disney+ Hotstar with Jio Cinema. Additionally, they have considered the possibility of operating separate platforms for sports and entertainment. A source stated that Reliance has decided to retain the Disney+ Hotstar option due to its strong technical foundation.

Disney+ Hotstar has over 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store, while Jio Cinema has only 100 million downloads. Reliance and Walt Disney signed the merger agreement for Viacom18 and Star in February. After the merger, the company will operate more than 100 channels and two streaming platforms, with a net worth of $8.5 billion. According to Reliance’s annual report, Jio Cinema had approximately 225 million monthly users, while Disney+ Hotstar had 333 million users in the fourth quarter of 2023.

As of June, Disney+ Hotstar had 35.5 million paid subscribers. During the IPL, this number increased to 61 million subscribers. Previously, Viacom18 had merged its other OTT platforms, including Voot, into Jio Cinema.