JioCinema, Disney+Hotstar merger: In a major shift following the merger between Reliance Industries and Disney, the streaming rights for the IPL 2025 will no longer be available on JioCinema. Instead, all cricket and sports events will be moved to Disney+ Hotstar, as reported by Reuters.What is the mergers impact on streaming rightsCurrently, Reliance Industries holds the streaming rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL), while Disney+ Hotstar has the rights for ICC events and other sports. The recent merger has prompted Reliance to consolidate its sports streaming under the Disney+ Hotstar banner. This merger, valued at approximately $8.5 billion (around ₹71,455 crore), took place in February 2024, forming a joint venture that includes 120 TV channels alongside two major streaming platforms: JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar.While JioCinema has the digital rights for various cricket matches in India, including the IPL, Disney+ Hotstar has established rights for ICC tournaments. The recent communication from Sajith Sivanandan, Hotstars India head, indicated the plan to transition all live sports streaming from JioCinema to Disney+ Hotstar.What is the reason behind this discontinuationThis decision appears to be driven by the superior backend streaming technology and targeted advertising capabilities of Disney+ Hotstar. The full transition of sports content from JioCinema to Disney+ Hotstar is expected to be completed by January 2025. Hotstars reputation for reliable live streaming was solidified during the ODI Cricket World Cup final last year, which attracted an impressive 59 million viewers.As of now, it remains unclear whether entertainment content from both platforms will be merged or if one service will be phased out while the other continues. Approval for the merger from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) was granted in August 2024, paving the way for these significant changes in streaming services.
