Reliance-Disney Merger Reshapes Indian Entertainment

A $8.5bn merger between Reliance Industries and Walt Disney's media assets aims to create India's largest entertainment company. The deal could reshape the landscape, capturing 40% of the TV market and reaching 750 million viewers across 120 channels.

The merged entity is set to dominate 75-80% of the Indian sports streaming market, particularly in cricket. This raises concerns about monopolistic practices in entertainment and advertising sectors, prompting scrutiny from India's competition watchdog.

• Merger combines Disney's Star India and Reliance's Viacom18 assets.
• New company will control major streaming platforms and film studios.
• Deal promises diverse content but faces criticism over market power.
• Smaller competitors may struggle with pricing pressure and content costs.
• Merger aims to challenge global tech giants in digital advertising.

While the merger offers potential benefits for consumers, it also poses challenges for competitors. The new entity's ability to bundle services and leverage Reliance's telecom base could make it difficult for other streaming companies to compete on price and content quality.