Assume Voot, JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar are merged into one entertainment app, and you have a streaming service with more than 233 million unique visitors. That is a reach just under half of India's largest streaming app: YouTube. 'This level of consolidation does not exist even in the US.'
'This is a first-of-its-kind partnership in the Indian media & entertainment landscape, and this association with Disney Star reflects our sharp, strategic vision for the sports business India.'
Disney Star is mulling legal actions against Zee Entertainment for backing out from a $1.4 billion sub-licensing agreement for TV broadcast of international cricket matches in India, according to industry sources. This could brew another legal trouble for Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), which is already facing an arbitration plea by Sony Group at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, claiming $90 million for breach of conditions of their merger agreement. Disney Star, an Indian subsidiary of media conglomerate The Walt Disney Company, is working on its strategy over the development, said industry sources.
Under the deal, reportedly worth more than $250 million, international matches and the domestic Big Bash League for men and women will be beamed to India "and other territories across Asia" from the 2023-24 season.
95 per cent of advertising inventory has been sold on television and 18 on-air sponsors have been signed up so far, the highest for any season.
After a lavish trailer launch in Bangalore, the cast of Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups got together once again for the release of a song, at Mumbai's Taj Lands End hotel.
From a child star to a superhero icon and horror favourite, Hayden Panettiere left behind a memorable body of work far beyond her years.
Both sports and digital will drag down the healthy operating margins that entertainment television continues to make.
Bollywood is super busy this July. Joginder Tuteja lists the movies coming up in theatres.
The Star Wars franchise as a whole has struggled creatively in recent years, and sadly, Grogu's cuteness alone is not enough to save the day, asserts Sreeju Sudhakaran.
New financial investment funds, including Filmoney Global and CineNow, are entering the 22,000 crore Indian film business, aiming to establish Indian cinema as a new asset class for high-net-worth individuals and institutions, similar to the IPL.
Cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is a strategic move by Olympic leaders to tap into India's massive fan base and commercial power, aiming to attract billions of new viewers and strengthen the Games' appeal in key markets.
With less than a month to go, football fans have all fingers -- and toes -- crossed, notes Kanika Datta.
Disney Star won the coveted IPL Indian sub-continent TV rights for a whopping Rs 23,575 crore, while Viacom18 grabbed the digital rights with a bid of Rs 20,500 crore at the media rights auction on Monday.
JioStar has terminated its broadcast deals in Bangladesh for IPL 2026, saying its local partner defaulted on payments.
Walt Disney Television International Asia Pacific on Friday signed a multi-year deal with the STAR group to distribute Disney Channel and Toon Disney Channel in India.
Zee Entertainment said on Monday it had secured the rights to broadcast the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 38 other FIFA events through 2034.
Disney Star India, bought at a valuation of $15 billion, could be on the block for roughly one-third that amount.
'He is the reason for bringing me into the film industry.' 'He is the reason for making me a very secure actor.'
Ranveer's revenge, Karisma's return, royal romance, office romance, biopic of a watch, warmth of a Gullak, OTT has truckloads of surprises to offer this week.
'The whole narrative will change from TV is dying to TV-plus-digital is the future.'
As Priyanka Chopra Jonas returns as the debonair spy Nadia in Citadel Season 2, we take look at how her Hollywood projects stack up against each other from underwhelming to standout.
The business value of the league, popularly called the IPL, surged to a record $18.5 billion last year, U.S.-based investment bank Houlihan Lokey says.
2026 looks promising for cinema lovers, with many highly anticipated, big-budget Hollywood films set to hit theatres this year.
Disney Star creates new viewership record in high-voltage India Pak match
Shraddha Kapoor is ready to charm fans in a brand-new Disney venture, but with a twist.
IPL records highest ever TV viewership in first 10 matches, says official broadcaster
If you were one of those waiting for the entire fourth season of Succession to drop so that you could binge-watch it over a weekend, you have missed the train.
'I look forward to contributing to the next phase of cricket's evolution, expanding its global footprint, enhancing the fan experience, and working closely with ICC Member Boards to build on our strong foundations.'
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Viacom18 Media (Viacom18), and The Walt Disney Company announced on Thursday that they have completed the merger of Viacom18's media and JioCinema businesses into Star India (SIPL), creating a mega joint venture valued at Rs 70,352 crore. The new entity will be guided by three chief executive officers (CEOs), "who will lead the company into a new era of ambition and disruption", according to a joint statement. Kevin Vaz will lead the entertainment division across all platforms, Kiran Mani will head the combined digital division, and Sanjog Gupta will oversee the sports operations.
With the acquisition of Hotstar, Disney gets immediate access to the OTT market.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has flagged possible anti-competitive concerns with respect to the proposed USD 8.5-billion Viacom18-Star India merger and has sought detailed responses from the parties concerned, sources said.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries has completed the merger of its media assets with the India business of global media house Walt Disney and formed a joint venture with a valuation of over Rs 70,000 crore. The JV will be one of the largest media and entertainment companies in India with a combined revenue of approximately Rs 26,000 crore and will be led by Nita Ambani as its chairperson, according to a joint statement.
As Simon navigates auditions, rejection, and sudden attention, Wonder Man explores how power and celebrity intersect, often blurring the line between authenticity and performance.
Joining Junaid Khan, Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor is Suchitra Krishnamoorthy and Shekhar Kapur's daughter, Kaveri, who will make her acting debut with the film Bobby Aur Rishi Ki Love Story.
The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League opened to blockbuster viewership numbers with 16.8 crore viewers tuning in to watch the season's first game between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22, the tournament's official broadcaster said on Thursday.
Walt Disney Co and Reliance Industries on Wednesday announced signing of binding pacts to merge their media operations in India to create a Rs 70,000 crore behemoth. Reliance and its affiliates will hold 63.16 per cent in the combined entity while Disney will hold the remaining 36.84 per cent, the companies said in a statement.
'Advertising this season will help IPL surpass $550 million in ad revenues, across digital and pay TV.' 'It should still represent a steep loss against annualised 2023-2027 IPL rights fees of $1.2 billion.'
The Critics Choice Awards was held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and saw Hollywood's A-listers get honoured at the first awards ceremony of the year.
Disney-Star is positioning IPL as a "big-screen experience" where families and friends can come together over a game of cricket, much the way football is consumed in Europe and other parts of the world.
