Mumbai, News Agency : A deal that will have a major impact on the future of Indian cricket has just taken place. Reliance and Disney India have merged. This is going to have a huge impact on the cricket broadcasting sector in India. This will allow viewers to watch all major cricket events on a single platform. That platform is, Jio Cinema! The merger value of Reliance Industries and Disney Star India (Reliance-Disney) is around Rs 70,352 crore. This merger will have a direct impact on cricket fans in India.
This merger strategy is going to change the way fans in India watch cricket. It also includes traditional TV broadcasts and live streaming. Jio is now going to be the most prominent digital platform for cricket.
Reliance Digital's Jio Cinema platform is set to become the largest streaming platform for cricket matches in India. It includes IPL, domestic cricket tournaments and major ICC tournaments, while Star Sports will be the leading channel telecasting cricket matches in India.
Disney Hotstar's exit from the Indian market may accelerate with the recent consolidation of Reliance and Disney. They currently hold the ICC broadcasting rights. These rights will go to Jio Cinemas in India.
Along with this, Sports 18 and Reliance's other sports channels can also become big players in the Indian cricket broadcasting world. India's bilateral series and Women's Premier League can be watched only on Star Sports.
Rules may come in the way (Reliance-Disney)
It was announced on February 28 that Reliance and Disney had signed an agreement to merge. However, now this process needs to be approved by the 'Competition Commission of India' and legal bodies as well. This process may take around 10 to 12 months. Therefore, the IPL 2024 and T20 World Cup to be held in June will not be affected by this merger. These two competitions will be broadcast on Star Sports and Hotstar only. However, this merger will give Jio Cinemas an opportunity to telecast the Champions Trophy.
Along with this, Women's Premier League can be telecasted on Geo and women's matches on Star Sports. The new platform may also be called Jio Star Sports.
