In a significant move following the Disney-Reliance $8.5 billion merger, all live sporting events in India, including the highly popular Indian Premier League (IPL), will now be exclusively streamed on Disney's Hotstar app, according to three sources familiar with the decision. This marks a crucial step in the integration of the two entertainment giants, as Reliance holds the majority stake in the newly formed entity.
While there have been no official comments from Disney or Reliance, the shift suggests that Reliance has no plans to phase out Hotstar. However, questions remain about whether the app will be rebranded under the new venture.
Streamlined Sports Streaming Strategy
JioCinema, Reliance's current streaming platform, holds broadcast rights for IPL cricket, the Winter Olympics, and the Indian Super League (ISL) football. On the other hand, Hotstar owns the streaming rights for the International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments in India, English Premier League (EPL) soccer, and the Pro Kabaddi League.
The decision to centralize live sports streaming on Hotstar appears to be based on the platform's superior back-end infrastructure for handling live events and its advanced ad-targeting capabilities, according to one insider. Hotstar’s seamless delivery of live sports has earned it a reputation in cricket-obsessed India, where millions tune in simultaneously. Last year, Hotstar set a record with 59 million concurrent viewers during the ICC Cricket World Cup finals.
Tech-First Approach to Content Delivery
Reliance’s decision to transition live sports from JioCinema to Hotstar will likely be completed by January, as per the insider report. Hotstar head Sajith Sivanandan recently held a town-hall meeting to discuss the logistics of this move with the company’s staff.
What remains unclear, however, is how other types of content across the two platforms will be handled. The merger between Disney and Reliance created India’s largest entertainment company, combining 120 TV channels and two streaming platforms. Yet, it’s still uncertain whether both apps will coexist or if one will eventually be closed down.
Navigating Competition in India’s Streaming Landscape
This consolidation of sports content is part of a broader strategy to solidify the new entity’s dominance in India’s competitive streaming market, where cricket is a key driver of viewership. The merger, which was approved by India's competition regulator in August, came with a set of concessions aimed at alleviating concerns over the control of cricket broadcasting rights. One such condition was a pledge not to raise advertising rates excessively.
As India continues to be a critical battleground for streaming platforms, the Disney-Reliance partnership is taking a tech-savvy approach to enhance content delivery and maintain its lead in the live sports streaming space. However, it remains to be seen how the rest of their entertainment catalog will evolve as the two companies further integrate their operations.
