The Reliance-Disney merger is great for them. But will it be for consumers?

livemint.com:

₹11,500 crore into the venture, securing a stake of over 63.16%, while Disney will have 36.84%. The entities have signed a definitive agreement to create a joint venture, combining Viacom18's and Star India's digital streaming and television assets.

Viacom18's media operations will merge into Star India Pvt, owned by Disney, through a court-approved arrangement. The venture is valued at ₹70,352 crore, or approximately $8.5 billion, not accounting for synergies.

Nita Ambani would chair the board of combined entity, and former top Disney India executive Uday Shankar would serve as vice chair. For Disney, this merger marks the culmination of efforts to stabilize its struggling India streaming business, plagued by user attrition, and alleviate financial pressures stemming from substantial investments in Indian cricket rights.

Valuing Disney's Indian operations at approximately one-fourth of its $15 billion acquisition price during the Fox deal in 2019, the merger signifies a strategic growth engine for Disney in India — tipped to grow into one of the largest consumption markets in the world. The joint venture is poised to become a prominent player in India's TV and digital streaming scene, merging prominent media assets, encompassing entertainment (e.g., Colors, StarPlus, StarGOLD) and sports (e.g., Star Sports and Sports18), and providing access to major events through JioCinema and Hotstar.

This will attract an audience of over 750 million viewers in India and the global Indian diaspora. Additionally, the joint venture will hold exclusive rights to distribute Disney films and productions in India, along with a licence for over 30,000 Disney content assets, presenting a full suite of entertainment options for Indian