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Reliance Industries, Viacom18 and The Walt Disney Company completed their media merger on 14 November 2024, combining television, sports and streaming businesses in a Reliance-controlled joint venture. Nita M. Ambani was named chairperson at formation. JioStar later launched JioHotstar on 14 February 2025, announcing a starting subscription price of ₹149 per quarter—not the ₹15 figure in the original headline. That was a launch-period price, not confirmation of what plans cost today.
What the Reliance–Disney merger combined
The transaction became effective after approvals on 14 November 2024. Viacom18’s media and JioCinema businesses were merged into Star India Private Limited to form the joint venture, which Reliance said it controlled. The combined portfolio brought together Star and Colors television channels, sports and entertainment businesses, and the JioCinema and Hotstar digital platforms. Reliance, Viacom18 and Disney’s completion announcement described the venture’s position at closing.
The companies reported more than 100 television channels, over 30,000 hours of television entertainment produced annually, and a combined subscription base above 50 million for JioCinema and Hotstar. These are figures from the parties’ November 2024 announcement, not a current audience or subscriber count.
Ownership, investment and transaction value
The closing announcement reported this ownership split:
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| Shareholder | Ownership at closing |
|---|---|
| Reliance Industries Limited | 16.34% |
| Viacom18 | 46.82% |
| The Walt Disney Company | 36.84% |
Although Reliance held 16.34% directly in the announced split, the parties said it controlled the joint venture. Reliance also invested ₹11,500 crore for the venture’s growth. The companies put its post-money transaction value at ₹70,352 crore, excluding synergies. Those amounts describe the 2024 transaction announcement; they are not a current valuation.
Who was named to lead the joint venture?
Nita M. Ambani was named chairperson and Uday Shankar vice chairperson when the venture was announced. The November 2024 completion release confirmed those appointments at formation. The current role status of either person is not established by the announcements cited here, so the appointments should not be read as confirmation of who leads JioStar today.
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How JioHotstar relates to the merger
JioHotstar is the streaming service JioStar announced on 14 February 2025, bringing JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar together. The merger created the combined corporate venture; JioHotstar was a subsequent platform launch within that broader combination. The launch announcement described a service spanning entertainment and sports, with shows, films and live sports available to viewers without a subscription, alongside paid plans for an uninterrupted and enhanced experience.
JioStar said the platform would offer recommendations driven by AI, streaming in more than 19 languages, ultra-HD 4K streaming, real-time statistics overlays and multi-angle sports viewing. These are capabilities announced by the company, not independently tested results. JioStar’s launch announcement provides the details.
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What price did JioHotstar announce at launch?
JioStar’s 14 February 2025 launch release said subscriptions started at ₹149 per quarter. That is the historical starting price stated at launch; it does not establish current plan prices. The ₹15 amount in the original headline is not substantiated by the official merger and launch announcements cited here, and its source and context remain unclear.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the earlier deal announcement said
In its 28 February 2024 announcement of the proposed transaction, Disney described a planned combination that included Colors, StarPlus, Star Gold, Star Sports, Sports18, JioCinema and Hotstar. It estimated the joint venture would reach over 750 million viewers across India and have access to more than 30,000 Disney content assets. These were company descriptions of the proposed deal, not the same measures as the subscriber and television figures reported when the transaction closed. Disney’s February 2024 announcement gives its original estimates.
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