Factbox: Disney-Reliance India media merger scrutiny: Who are their top rivals?

Sun TV Network

20/08/2024 11:43

(Updates lead to reflect regulatory scrutiny on the merger)
       Aug 20 (Reuters) - 
    The $8.5 billion merger of Reliance and Walt Disney media
assets was dealt its biggest setback yet after an initial
assessment by India's antitrust body 
    noted
     that the combination could hurt competition due to their
dominance over cricket rights.
  
    The proposed merger, first announced in February, is
expected to combine 120 TV channels and two streaming platforms,
and is set to challenge rivals such as Japan's Sony  6758.T  and
Netflix  NFLX.O  in a $28 billion media and entertainment sector
set to be worth $100 billion by the end of the decade. 
    Here is a list of the other top media players in India and
the sectors they dominate:    
     
    ZEE ENTERTAINMENT
    One of the oldest media companies in India, Zee's businesses
include television broadcasting, video streaming and movie
production. Its domestic broadcast portfolio consists of around
48 TV channels as well as a streaming platform.
    Japan's Sony Group in January pulled the plug on a $10
billion merger deal with Zee that had been in the works for two
years, citing unresolved "closing conditions" and leadership
disputes.
     
    SONY INDIA
    In its 29th year of operation, Sony Pictures Networks India,
Sony Group's subsidiary, operates 26 channels ranging from
general entertainment to sports and movies.
    It says its content reaches as many as 700 million viewers
in India and is available in 167 countries.
    Sony also operates the video streaming platform Sony LIV in
India.
     
    NETFLIX
    The streaming giant Netflix views India as a key market. In
a recent visit to India, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos was quoted
as saying that he sees its Indian subscriber base rising to 100
million over time, from around 10 million now. 
     
    AMAZON PRIME
    Amazon Prime Video is estimated to have about 20 million
users in India. Its Indian aggregation service, Channels, offers
subscriptions to other global and local video streaming
services.
     
    BENNETT COLEMAN AND COMPANY
    Based in Mumbai and established in 1913, the company
produces its flagship Times of India newspaper and owns a host
of assets in broadcasting, publishing, radio, film and
entertainment.
     
    SUN TV NETWORK
    Dominant in south India, Sun TV  SUTV.NS  operates 35 TV
channels in six languages, along with 69 FM radio stations and
three daily newspapers.

 (Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Dhwani Pandya in Mumbai;
Editing by Kevin Liffey and Sharon Singleton)
 ((mailto:shilpa.jamkhandikar@thomsonreuters.com;))