When Reliance Jio announced to show IPL for free on its OTT platform 'Jio Cinema', it created a stir in the entire market. But now this OTT platform of industrialist Mukesh Ambani may be closed soon.
The acquisition deal between Reliance Jio's parent company Reliance Industries and Disney is now almost finalized. An official announcement of its completion can be made any time. After completion of this deal, the entire business of Disney's Star Network will belong to Mukesh Ambani. Keeping this in view, Mukesh Ambani can take a big decision.
After the completion of the merger, Reliance will also own the OTT platform Disney + Hotstar. In such a situation, quoting sources, ET has said in a news that after the merger, Mukesh Ambani's company can maintain a single platform instead of two different OTT platforms.
According to the news, after the completion of the merger of Reliance's subsidiary Viacom 18 and Star India, 'Jio Cinema' can be merged into 'Disney + Hotstar'. In this way, the company can ultimately keep the Disney + Hotstar platform running, while Jio can shut down Cinema.
Reliance Industries has already done a similar thing. Before Jio Cinema, Viacom 18 had its own OTT platform 'Voot', which the company later merged with Jio Cinema.
Reliance Industries has completed almost all the formalities for purchasing Disney's Star India business. Not only this, the company has also received almost all the regulatory approvals. After this deal, the control of the new company Star-Viacom 18 will be with Reliance.
One reason for merging Jio Cinema with Disney + Hotstar is Disney + Hotstar having more than 50 crore downloads on Google Play Store. Whereas the number of downloads of Jio Cinema is only 10 crores. Not only this, Disney + Hotstar has 3.55 crore paid subscribers.
