The merged entity will be a $8.5 billion powerhouse, dwarfing all others. With about 120 broadcasting channels, a reach of 750 million people worldwide, cornering a combined revenue of 43% of the advertising market, and with two of the largest streaming platforms – Jio Cinema and Disney + Hotstar – what we are seeing is an outsized media monopoly.
Analysts have been speculating the entertainment market will be reduced to a duopoly – or a ‘trio-poly’ if you take Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony Television as two standalone groups. This is wishful thinking. Zee plus Sony won’t be half the size of the RelianceViacom-Disney juggernaut. What we have on the horizon is an undisputed monopoly.
The domination will have a serious impact on consumers: for advertisers, airtime rates will be fixed; and media consumers will have to pay more for access to live cricket and other content.
There is little forthright questioning, but one can sense the nervousness in the industry. The CCI had initially stalled the merger; and, according to a Reuters report, had raised some key concerns:
In sports broadcasting the two companies – Disney with 77.7% share and Reliance Viacom 7.5% - together had cornered a combined share of 85.2%. “The sports TV channel segment is already highly concentrated,” the CCI said in its letter. “Most of the current sports content such as cricket ... are streamed on either of the two platforms (of Reliance and Disney)”. This meant “higher negotiating power …”.
The CCI said it found that Disney and Reliance are “close competitors….After the merger, there may not be an adequate number of competitors ... for advertisers.”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MARKETS SENSE THE SCENT OF A SLOWDOWN
IT is flowing out in dribs and drabs and is not yet a deluge of dismal news. As high-frequency growth indicators flash amber and red the stock markets seem to sense the scent of a slowdown.
10-man Arsenal stunned
TITLE hopefuls Arsenal had a chance to go top of the Premier League on Saturday. Instead, they suffered their first defeat of the season as the Gunners lost 0-2 against AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Jordan, Bates and the legacy of jersey No. 23
JUNE 14, 1998. Delta Center, Salt Lake City. Utah Jazz vs Chicago Bulls. National Basketball Association Finals, Game 6. Even though the Bulls were leading the seven-match series 3-2, and just needed one final push to clinch their second hat-trick of the championship in the 1990s, the games, bar one, were exceptionally close. The Jazz were at home, but trailing behind by one Game. A win here meant they would get another opportunity to go at the Bulls and potentially win the championship.
Final frontier: A new champion and long-lasting legacy await
HIS time around last year, when the cricketing world was in the middle of the men's ODI World Cup in India, all cards were falling in place for another rivalry to lock horns in the Rugby World Cup. While New Zealand All Blacks were crushing every opposition to make it to the final, South African Springboks were sticking to their mantra of winning by one point because that was enough of a margin for them. All cards fell in place and Stade de France, the national stadium of the host country, witnessed one of the best finals ever.
INDIA HOPING FOR A MIRACLE
After a 106-run lead, hosts will have to come up with something extraordinary on final day
OLA ELECTRIC UNDER FIRE FROM CUSTOMERS AND INVESTORS
There have been instances when angry consumers burnt down showroom
SPECTRUM ALLOCATION: MUSK'S WIN OVER AMBANI DEBUNKS 2G 'SCAM' CASE
It is significant that the Union government has backed Elon Musk's internet arm Starlink and Amazon over Mukesh Ambani Reliance and Sunil Mittal's Airtel by deciding to allot satellite spectrum administratively rather than take the auction route.
Kotak Bank reports muted Q2 earnings
THE rising stress in the personal loans, credit card and microfinance portfolios roiled the earnings for Kotak Mahindra Bank for Q2FY25.
‘Economic prospects help India-US ties’
COMMERCE and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said Indo-US business relations have strengthened over the past 10 years as lack of predictability and confidence in the future of the Indian economy has become a thing of history.
HDFC Bank net profit rises 5% to ₹16,820 crore in Q2
HDFC Bank on Saturday reported a 5% rise net income year-on-year to ₹16,821 crore, despite overall stressed assets inching up marginally.
