Reliance Industries and Walt Disney have reportedly signed a non-binding agreement to merge their Indian media operations. The deal is expected to be completed by February, with the Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate aiming to complete the process by the end of January, subject to regulatory approvals, the report said.
Citing sources, an Economic Times report said that as part of the merger, Reliance will own 51% through a combination of shares and cash and Disney will hold the remaining 49%.
The report highlighted that the companies' executives met in London, which is consistent with a previous report which noted that the companies' executives met in London to discuss the next phase of the media merger.
The proposed deal is likely to create an entity under Reliance's Viacom18 to take control of Star India through a share swap, the publication claimed, adding that the parties plan to inject $1 billion to $1.5 billion in the company invest. The board is expected to include an equal number of directors from Reliance and Disney.
What the Reliance-Disney India deal means
Reliance's JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar are direct competitors. When Disney's talks for content deals with HBO and WBD shows fell through, JioCinema seized the opportunity to add the slate to its platform. Also, the latest edition of the IPL cricket tournament was streamed for free to rise in the Indian OTT space.
A merger is expected to create one of India's largest entertainment companies, competing with the likes of Zee Entertainment and Sony as well as Netflix and Amazon Prime. Reliance already has several TV channels and streaming app JioCinema through its media and entertainment unit Viacom18.
Fusion triggers Exodus
The deal between the two companies has reportedly led to an exodus of users from Disney's streaming app Hotstar in recent quarters. Since the beginning of this year, Disney has been exploring a sale or joint venture partnership for its India business.
Citing sources, an Economic Times report said that as part of the merger, Reliance will own 51% through a combination of shares and cash and Disney will hold the remaining 49%.
The report highlighted that the companies' executives met in London, which is consistent with a previous report which noted that the companies' executives met in London to discuss the next phase of the media merger.
The proposed deal is likely to create an entity under Reliance's Viacom18 to take control of Star India through a share swap, the publication claimed, adding that the parties plan to inject $1 billion to $1.5 billion in the company invest. The board is expected to include an equal number of directors from Reliance and Disney.
What the Reliance-Disney India deal means
Reliance's JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar are direct competitors. When Disney's talks for content deals with HBO and WBD shows fell through, JioCinema seized the opportunity to add the slate to its platform. Also, the latest edition of the IPL cricket tournament was streamed for free to rise in the Indian OTT space.
A merger is expected to create one of India's largest entertainment companies, competing with the likes of Zee Entertainment and Sony as well as Netflix and Amazon Prime. Reliance already has several TV channels and streaming app JioCinema through its media and entertainment unit Viacom18.
Fusion triggers Exodus
The deal between the two companies has reportedly led to an exodus of users from Disney's streaming app Hotstar in recent quarters. Since the beginning of this year, Disney has been exploring a sale or joint venture partnership for its India business.
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