Reliance-Disney Merger: Viacom18 will now transfer the licenses of TV channels to Star India, got approval from the government.
The government has approved the transfer of licenses related to non-news and current affairs TV channels of the media units of billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries to Star India. According to information given to the stock exchanges by Reliance Industries and TV18 Broadcast, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has given this approval through an order dated September 27. “The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, vide its order dated September 27, 2024, has given its approval for transfer of license relating to non-news and current affairs TV channel of Viacom18 Media Private Limited in favor of Star India,” it said. Has given.
Merger approval was received from NCLT
This will be subject to the conditions prescribed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). Viacom18 is a holding company that owns the media and entertainment businesses of Reliance Industries and Bodhi Tree Systems. Now both the parties are in the final stages of merger and are making some adjustments in their business as per the CCI directions. On August 30, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had approved the plan of merger of Viacom18 Media and Digital18 Media, which owns the media and entertainment assets of Reliance Industries, with Star India. The plan proposed to transfer the media operations related to Viacom18 and Jio Cinema to Digital18, a subsidiary of Viacom18.
The country’s largest media group will be formed
The merger of the media assets of Reliance Industries and The Walt Disney Company will create the country’s largest media conglomerate, with a valuation of over Rs 70,000 crore. Earlier, CCI had said that it approved the proposal of combination of Reliance Industries Ltd, Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd, Digital18 Media Ltd, Star India Pvt Ltd (SIPL) and Star Television Productions Ltd (STPL) subject to compliance with voluntary amendments. However, CCI did not disclose the voluntary amendments to the original deal made by both the parties.
Two OTT and 120 television channels
Under the deal, Mukesh Ambani-led RIL and its partners will hold 63.16 per cent stake in the combined entity, which will have two streaming services and 120 television channels. At the same time, Walt Disney will hold the remaining 36.84 percent stake in this collective entity. This will be the largest media company in the country. Reliance Industries has also agreed to invest around Rs 11,500 crore in a joint venture to take on rivals like Netflix and Japan’s Sony. Nita Ambani, wife of RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani, will head the joint venture, while Uday Shankar will be its vice-chairperson.
