Disney and Reliance Industries have got the green signal
It’s official that The Walt Disney Company and Reliance Industries have received the green signal from the Competition Commission of India for a massive $8.5 billion merger that is set to create the country’s biggest entertainment powerhouse, The deal is set to combine a vast array of television channel streaming services, sports rights and content libraries, making them an unstoppable force in India’s media landscape, Under the deal signed on February 28, Reliance’s WCom 18 and Disney Star India will form M for a Better Plan, a Rs 7,350 crore joint venture, Reliance will infuse around Rs 11,500 crore to fuel the growth of this new media giant, Reliance and its partners will hold a 56% stake after the merger, Disney will retain 36.84% and Bodh Tree, the joint venture of James Murdoch and former Star India CEO UD Shankar will hold a 7.5% stake
Nickelodeon and MTV
So what makes this merger so powerful on the television front Nickelodeon and MTV meanwhile Disney Star is a dominant channel in Indian households it operates around 80 channels famous for everything from Hindi filmy dramas to Hollywood blockbusters, When it comes to sports, Viacom 18 owns TV channels for domestic and international cricket managed by the BCCI while Disney has acquired IPL TV rs until 2027, Their networks include entertainment, sports, kids shows, documentaries, lifestyle content, regional programming, you name it in the streaming space,
ICC match streaming rights in India until 2027
The merger brings together two digital powerhouses Disney has ICC match streaming rights in India until 2027, while Amani’s Jio Cinema made headlines by outbidding Disney for IPL streaming rights for the same period The Pokemon Company and Warner Bros will bring even more international content to Indian audiences Now what’s next with the competition, Indian Commission approval received, The merger is set to go ahead according to media reports Reliance is expected to receive final approvals from the National Company Law Tribunal, all NTs and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting by September 15 The integration will begin before October of this year During this phase the companies will begin rolling out the organizational structure for Key Management Personnel, with the leadership team evaluating each business and determining what is needed The list of KMS is reportedly ready and will be announced once all approvals are received The entire integration process is expected to be completed in just a few months from now, However as with any merger of this scale there will be some role overlap While no official figures have been confirmed, media experts estimate that at least 1,000 workers could be affected by redundancy