Mukesh Ambani's Reliance to stream all live sports, including IPL on Hotstar post merger with Disney? Know here

The newly merged Disney-Reliance business in India will stream all live sporting events, including the popular Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket, exclusively on Disney's Hotstar app, according to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters.

Earlier this year, Disney and Reliance agreed to merge their media assets in a deal valued at USD 8.5 billion, forming India's largest entertainment company. The merger brought together a total of 120 TV channels and two streaming platforms, but no details were provided on how the integration would take place. This recent decision indicates a strategy for the merged entity's sports streaming services, although it's unclear how other content will be handled across the platforms.

Disney declined to comment, while Reliance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The choice to stream live sports on Hotstar was influenced by its superior technology for live content and ability to deliver targeted ads. Hotstar, which is well-known for streaming cricket in India, had a record 59 million concurrent viewers during last year's men's cricket World Cup finals.

Reliance's JioCinema platform currently holds the streaming rights for IPL cricket, the Winter Olympics, and Indian Super League football, while Hotstar has the rights to International Cricket Council tournaments, English Premier League soccer, and the Pro Kabaddi League. The companies aim to complete the transition by January.

The merger was approved by India's competition regulator in August, following concessions from the companies to ensure fair cricket broadcasting practices, including a promise not to excessively raise advertising rates.

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