Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is reportedly planning a significant merger between its streaming service, JioCinema, and Disney+ Hotstar.
Disney+ Hotstar, owned by Walt Disney’s Star India, has over 500 million downloads, while JioCinema, controlled by RIL’s Viacom18, has over 100 million downloads.
Despite Disney+ Hotstar’s larger download count, RIL is considering consolidating the two platforms into one to create a dominant streaming service.
RIL’s annual report revealed that JioCinema averages 225 million users per month, while Disney+ Hotstar had 333 million active users during the fourth quarter of 2023.
However, Disney+ Hotstar has seen a drop in paid subscribers, falling from a peak of 61 million to 35.5 million in June.
The decline came after losing major content like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and HBO shows.
Earlier in the year, RIL and Walt Disney had signed an $8.5 billion deal to merge Star India and Viacom18, forming a media giant with over 100 channels and two streaming platforms.
The merger is currently awaiting approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
This consolidation would streamline operations, cut costs, and create a one-stop OTT destination that could compete with YouTube in the ad-supported segment and Netflix and Prime Video in the subscription space.
If merged, JioCinema would boast a massive library of over 125,000 hours of entertainment, sports, and Hollywood content, including cricket events like the IPL.
Disney and RIL have declined to comment on the matter, but sources suggest the merger could give JioCinema a major advantage in the increasingly competitive streaming market.
