Disney, Sony deals may make consumer reach harder

TWO LARGE MEDIA deals in India are giving the likes of Unilever and Procter & Gamble a reason to worry: If entertainment goes the way of telecom and ends up effectively as a duopoly, will it become costlier for large consumer brands to reach 1.4 billion people? The first of these two transactions may come as early as Monday and would see Walt Disney enter into a non-binding agreement with Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries to merge their media businesses in the country.

- ANDY MUKHERJEE

The richest Asian tycoon will hold at least 51% of the combined television and streaming operations.

The second, which is looking halfbaked even after being in the oven for more than two years, is expected to meld Sony Group's local unit with Zee Entertainment Enterprises. But disagreements have reportedly cropped up about who should be the chief executive officer. Although the Sony-Zee accord is mired in doubt ahead of its tight December 21 deadline, it's reasonably certain that by this time next year the Indian sports and general entertainment market will have consolidated into two large platforms: Ambani's Viacom18 Media + Disney, and Sony, with or without the Zee merger.

India is a large cable market. For advertisers, TV ads are still five to six times more expensive than their digital alternatives, according to industry professionals. Currently, four networks Disney, Zee, Sony, and Viacom18's Colors - have nationwide footprints in cricket and entertainment in multiple Indian languages. After a merger, Viacom 18+Disney will control a third of Hindi general entertainment in northern cities, and more than a quarter of the Tamil market, which has a strong local leader.