Connect with us

News

Disney-Reliance Joint Venture to Exclusively Stream Live Sports on Disney+ Hotstar!

Published

on

Hotstar - StartupStories

All live sports content from the newly formed Disney-Reliance joint venture in India, including the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket, will now stream exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar, according to three sources familiar with the development. This strategic move is poised to reshape the landscape of sports broadcasting in India.

Implications of the Joint Venture

The decision signals that Reliance, which holds a majority stake in the venture, does not intend to shut down the Disney+ Hotstar platform, though the possibility of a rebranding remains uncertain. Neither Disney nor Reliance has issued any official comment on the matter as of now.

Merger Overview

The $8.5 billion (approximately ₹71,455 crore) merger, announced in February, aims to create India’s largest entertainment company by combining 120 TV channels and two streaming platforms. However, the companies have not yet disclosed the full strategy for integration or operations.

Current Streaming Rights Landscape

While Reliance’s JioCinema currently holds the streaming rights for IPL cricket, the Winter Olympics, and the Indian Super League (ISL) football, Disney+ Hotstar has secured rights to International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments, the English Premier League, and the Pro Kabaddi League.

Consolidation of Live Sports Streaming

According to one source, the decision to consolidate live sports streaming on Hotstar was shared by Sajith Sivanandan, head of Disney+ Hotstar, during a recent town hall meeting. The move leverages Hotstar’s superior back-end infrastructure, which excels at managing high-traffic live events and delivering targeted ads. The transition is expected to be completed by January.

Uncertainties Ahead

Despite the shift of live sports to Hotstar, the fate of other entertainment content remains unclear. It is uncertain whether both apps will continue to operate independently or if one will eventually be phased out. This ambiguity raises questions about user experience and brand identity for both platforms.

Regulatory Approval and Market Impact

The merger was approved by India’s competition regulator in August following concessions from both companies, including a pledge not to increase advertising rates unfairly to address concerns about their dominant position in cricket broadcasting.

Audience Engagement

Disney+ Hotstar is known for its reliability in streaming live events—a crucial factor in cricket-obsessed India. Last year, it set a record with 59 million concurrent viewers during the men’s cricket World Cup final, highlighting its technical strength in handling massive audiences without disruptions.

Conclusion

The exclusive streaming of live sports on Disney+ Hotstar represents a significant shift in India’s media landscape, consolidating power among major players. As Reliance and Disney navigate this new terrain, their ability to integrate operations while maintaining audience engagement will be critical.

With substantial investments and strategic partnerships at play, this joint venture could redefine how sports content is consumed in India, potentially setting new standards for streaming services in an increasingly competitive market.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Binance美国注册

    June 4, 2025 at 2:26 pm

    Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.

  2. Enregistrement à Binance

    June 28, 2025 at 3:00 am

    Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me. https://www.binance.com/fr-AF/register?ref=JHQQKNKN

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

ZILO Raises $4.5M to Boost Quick Fashion Delivery

Published

on

Zilo - StartupStories

Mumbai-based fashion tech startup ZILO has raised $4.5 million in seed funding, with Info Edge Ventures and Chiratae Ventures co-leading the round. Founded in 2025 by ex-Flipkart and Myntra executive Padmakumar Pal and entrepreneur Bhavik Jhaveri, ZILO aims to transform urban fashion retail by delivering products from over 250 brands—including Levi’s, Louis Philippe, and Puma—within 60 minutes of order placement. The new capital will be used to strengthen ZILO’s hybrid supply chain, deepen brand partnerships, and expand operations beyond Mumbai into other major metro cities by year-end.

ZILO’s quick commerce model stands out by combining the convenience of online shopping with the efficiency of offline retail. The platform operates through a network of dark stores and brand outlets to ensure fast delivery of fresh, in-season fashion items. Customers benefit from scheduled home trials, allowing them to try multiple sizes upon delivery with the option for instant returns, and receive AI-powered style recommendations for a more personalized shopping experience.

The funding comes amid surging investor interest in ultra-fast fashion delivery startups, as rapid fulfillment becomes a key differentiator in India’s competitive ecommerce landscape. With plans to expand its product range to include footwear, bags, and accessories by the festive season and scale up to nearly 100,000 styles, ZILO is positioning itself to meet the growing demand for speed, personalization, and reliability in fashion retail.

Continue Reading

News

Meta in Advanced Talks to Acquire Voice Cloning Startup PlayAI to Boost AI Capabilities

Published

on

Meta Ai

Meta Platform is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire PlayAI, a Palo Alto-based startup renowned for its cutting-edge voice cloning technology powered by artificial intelligence. While the deal is not yet finalized, sources indicate that Meta aims to acquire both PlayAI’s proprietary technology and a significant portion of its staff. Though financial details remain confidential, industry insiders estimate the acquisition could be worth between $300 million and $500 million.

PlayAI has made a name for itself by developing tools that generate highly realistic voice clones, with applications spanning customer service, virtual assistants, and conversational AI agents. A key differentiator for PlayAI is its low-latency, edge-computing architecture, allowing for near-instant, natural-sounding voice responses. The startup has attracted over $23 million in funding from notable investors such as 500 Startups and Kindred Ventures, positioning itself as a leader in the rapidly growing field of voice AI.

For Meta, this potential acquisition fits squarely within CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader strategy to make artificial intelligence central to the company’s future. Integrating PlayAI’s advanced voice technology could significantly enhance Meta’s AI assistant, smartglasses, and other hands-free devices, helping the company keep pace with competitors like Google and OpenAI. The move also follows Meta’s recent multi-billion dollar investment in Scale AI and its aggressive recruitment of top AI talent, signaling Zuckerberg’s commitment to leading in the next wave of AI innovation. Both Meta and PlayAI have declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations.

Continue Reading

News

Elon Musk Bans Hashtags from X Ads, Ushering in a New Era of AI-Driven Marketing

Published

on

Hashtag on X

Elon Musk has announced that, starting June 27, 2025, hashtags will be banned from all promoted posts on X (formerly Twitter). This policy applies exclusively to paid advertisements, meaning regular users can still include hashtags in their personal posts. Musk described hashtags in ads as an “esthetic nightmare,” emphasizing that the change is intended to create a cleaner, less cluttered feed where advertisements blend more seamlessly with organic content. 

The ban reflects Musk’s long-standing criticism of hashtags, which he has called “ugly” and unnecessary. He argues that with the platform’s advanced AI tools, such as the Grok chatbot, hashtags are no longer essential for content discovery or categorization. Instead, X’s algorithms can now surface and organize relevant content and ads without relying on manual tags, signaling a broader industry shift toward AI-driven content curation.

For advertisers, this marks a significant departure from traditional social media marketing strategies, where hashtags have been key for engagement and campaign tracking. Brands will now need to adapt by focusing on compelling visuals, concise copy, and leveraging X’s AI-powered targeting. The move has sparked debate among marketers and users, with some supporting the cleaner look and others lamenting the loss of a familiar engagement tool.

 

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Recent Posts

Advertisement