Techie’s unique offer to Mukesh Ambani, after buying ‘Jiohotstar domain’ ahead of Disney-Jio merger

A smart techie, ahead of Disney-Jio merger, bought a domain named ‘Jiohotstar domain’ & made a unique offer to Mukesh Ambani led Reliance if they want to buy it.

A techie from Delhi has bought the domain named “JioHotstar” and offered it to Reliance for a unique price, ahead of the ongoing discussions over the merger of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar.

Some of the media reports had earlier claimed that the possibility of a unified platform may be called as “JioHotstar.” However, there’s now an unexpected twist in this story, as a Delhi-based developer has already purchased the domain name “JioHotstar.” Writing a letter to Reliance officials he has made a unique demand in order to sale this domain to Jio.

‘’My intention of buying this domain was simple: if this merger happens, I might be able to fulfill my dream of studying at Cambridge,” the message reads.

Delhi Techie Offer To Reliance

The domain name, JioHotstar, currently leads to a simple webpage with a banner that reads, “JioHotstar: Best of Entertainment, Streaming Soon.” There are no logos or branding, but there’s a clear message for Reliance Industries, JioCinema’s parent company.

The developer goes on to explain that this led to a hypothesis, that if Reliance were to acquire Hotstar, they might rebrand it to JioHotstar, similar to how they rebranded Saavn to JioSaavn.

Someone bought the JioHotstar domain (before the merger) and wants Reliance to fund their higher studies from domain sale.

Really hope they can get a good payout from this! pic.twitter.com/uBjvgVgqZG

— pea bee (@prstb) October 23, 2024

In the message, the anonymous developer explains the reasoning behind him purchasing the domain. “I am an app developer based in Delhi, currently working on my startup. In early 2023, while scrolling through social media, I read that Disney+ Hotstar was losing daily active users after losing the IPL streaming license, and that Disney was considering selling or merging Hotstar with an Indian competitor. This made me think that Viacom 18 (owned by Reliance) would be the most likely buyer, as Sony and Zee were already pursuing their own merger.” 

Developer’s Message To Reliance

The techie further explains that after verifying the domain was available, they purchased it with a unique goal in mind: to fund their dream of attending Cambridge University. “A project of mine was selected for the Cambridge University Accelerate program a few years ago, and I’ve always dreamed of studying there. However, I have been unable to afford the program. Cambridge also offers a full degree in entrepreneurship, which I aspire to pursue. When I saw this domain was available, I felt it could help me achieve my dream if this merger happens,” the message reads.

The developer has addressed both Viacom and Reliance, offering to sell the domain in exchange for financial assistance to attend Cambridge. “For a multi-billion dollar company like Reliance, this will be a minor expense, but for me, the sale of this domain would be truly life-changing,” the note concludes.

As of now, neither JioCinema nor Disney+ Hotstar has responded to the developer’s offer.