Reliance nears deal to acquire Disney’s India business, report says

Reliance is nearing a deal to acquire Disney’s India business, according to a report, as Mukesh Ambani’s oil-to-telecom empire eyes broadening digital and television assets.

Disney values its India business at about $10 billion, whereas Reliance views the assets at between $7 billion to $8 billion, the Monday Bloomberg News report said. A deal could be finalized and announced as early as next month, the report said.

Reliance in an earlier statement said the firm is always evaluating properties for acquisitions.

In 2019, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets for $71.3 billion, a move significantly bolstered by the inclusion of Star India. The deal was integral to Disney’s global streaming expansion, handing it broadcast and streaming rights to the Indian Premier League cricket matches, a multitude of multilingual TV channels, and an interest in a Bollywood film production company. At the time of acquisition, Star’s Hotstar streaming service boasted 150 million monthly active users, primarily fueled by its cricket coverage.

But things have tapered off since as Reliance-backed Viacom18 has grown in popularity after securing the five-year rights to stream IPL cricket matches for about $3 billion. Disney paid $3 billion for the same five-year right, but for broadcasting the content on TV.