Disney-Reliance Key Concessions for $8.5B India Media Merger

Disney and Reliance have offered concessions to secure antitrust approval for their $8.5 billion media merger in India, without selling any cricket broadcast rights. They have agreed not to unreasonably hike advertisement rates. The companies aim to create India's largest entertainment player, competing with Sony, Netflix, and Amazon.

Disney and Reliance have made concessions to obtain antitrust approval for their $8.5 billion media merger in India, but remain firm on retaining cricket broadcast rights, sources revealed.

Earlier this week, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) raised concerns about the merged entity's potential dominance over cricket broadcast rights in India, which could negatively impact advertisers. In response, the companies have pledged not to unreasonably increase advertisement rates, sources said.

To create India's largest entertainment player, Disney and Reliance plan to operate 120 TV channels and two streaming services, competing with Sony, Netflix, and Amazon. Despite the pressure to sell some cricket rights, the companies insist on retaining them due to their substantial investment and popularity, sources noted. The submissions, made to the CCI, are reported here for the first time, while Reliance, Disney, and the CCI did not immediately comment.