The Reliance Disney Hotstar merger is likely to change the scenario of OTT in India once JioStar is launched on November 14. The platform under single umbrellas between Disney Star India and Viacom18, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries would integrate Indian and international content.
Ever since the February announcement, there has been great anticipation, and as of Tuesday, the website of the JioStar only displayed a simple “Coming Soon,” building the hype for the audiences, who were eager to know how the Reliance Disney Hotstar merger would shape the streaming services.
Reliance Disney Hotstar merger will complete their alliance today
By insiders, on November 13, JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar will complete its integration, while on midnight of November 14, the JioStar would go live. All content will be hosted on sub-domains of JioStar, where access will be given to users. A technical spokesperson for JioCinema confirmed that the resulting service would have a very rich library with something for everyone. This is the important milestone for the Reliance Disney Hotstar merger since it combines two enormous entertainment ecosystems.
There is also worth noting the impact of the merger on TV channels under Disney Star and Viacom18.
Regional channels will also consolidate where audience overlap happens. For example, if the Star Marathi channel is outperforming the Colors Marathi channel, then their content will be brought together to avoid duplication and make for streamlined content. That is what the Reliance Disney Hotstar merger essentially would do, focusing on consolidation through selection of those content properties, which are performing well across Hindi and regional markets.
International and Indian content together will ablaze the fans
The on-demand section will have all international and Indian content. The ABC/Showtime content portfolio will be retained by Disney+ Hotstar-the chain series of Grey’s Anatomy, Modern Family, etc. JioCinema will have the content provided by HBO and Paramount+ channels like Game of Thrones. This mix of international content finally cements that the intent behind the merger of Reliance Disney Hotstar was the long-term content that would come attractive to as many people as possible.
Uday Shankar is the strategic leader of this venture. His initiative focuses on extending the viewer base in the AVOD, SVOD, and TVOD models. The merge of Reliance Disney Hotstar aims to reach out to the viewers across India by availing lower packages of subscription and TV on demand. The approach of JioStar promises to redefine how content is accessed and has customized choices for different financial preferences.
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