Disney+Hotstar and Jio Cinema will merge, here’s what will change
The fourth season of Criminal Justice will be released early next year
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For the past few weeks, all eyes in the entertainment industry have been on the merger of Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema. I hear that Mukesh Ambani‘s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has signed a non-binding agreement with Walt Disney Co that includes the merger of the two streaming platforms. Industry buzz is that while the deal will close at the end of February, it won’t come into effect until after April 2024. With this merger, JioCinema – which gained momentum earlier this year when it won the Indian Premier League (IPL). ) streaming rights for five years – is on track to become one of the top OTT platforms in the country.
One wonders what the spot changes will be on both streamers. While JioCinema announced a strong slate of originals by the end of 2022, Disney+ Hotstar has built a vast library over the years. However, the latter took a beating when it lost the rights to stream HBO shows in India in April. A representative of the production house, whose show has been commissioned by Disney+ Hotstar, reveals, “We have been told to go ahead with our show as expected. From my understanding, producers whose shows have been greenlit will not be affected. The platform is not releasing new shows at this stage,” said a spokesperson.
Aarya, Criminal Justice and Koffee with Karan have been among the platform’s most successful offerings and should not touch the deal immediately. Word on the street is that next season Sushmita Sen– Starrer is in development and the next edition of Criminal Justice will be released in early 2024. A Disney+ Hotstar insider breaks it down saying, “In terms of operations, the platform has always been a facilitator, not an active producer. This is useful in the current situation as the performances run smoothly without much interference. For example, the new season of Special Ops is on floors and is not affected by the change of hands.
As for the fate of new series like Karan Johar’s Showtime production, or Ravenna TandonIs karma calling? A source reveals, “These two are the marquee shows of the platform and the idea is to release them on priority basis. The release of some other important series is also being expedited.” It is assumed that over time, Disney+ Hotstar will not be a separate entity. The source adds, “The domain will cease to exist. The app will become a channel under the Jio umbrella, just like Voot.”
