OTT merger: Jio can hurt Hotstar reputation

Reliance Industries, led by Mukesh Ambani, is poised to acquire 51% ownership in the merging of Jio Cinema and Disney Hotstar. The merger between Reliance’s Jio Cinema and Disney+ Hotstar is in progress and the anticipated completion of the deal is slated soon in February 2024. The combined entity would wield substantial influence, boasting over 100 TV channels across eight languages and a formidable presence in the OTT market, potentially becoming the largest player in terms of subscriber base and distribution power. The deal’s financial aspects involve Disney valuing its Indian business at around $10 billion, while Reliance estimates the assets’ value to be between $7-8 billion. Following the merger, all sports events will be accessible through a single app which would be phenomenal, offering users streamlined access to a wide range of content previously available on separate platforms. While Disney+Hotstar is quite popular among digital audiences for its smooth navigation and seamless streaming, Jio is notorious for its never-ending glitches. Users have encountered several glitches in the Jio app, including technical difficulties during live streaming, lagging, and poor picture quality. The app’s user interface is criticized for being difficult to navigate, and users are required to enable notifications for access. Video playback issues, such as not resuming from the last pause and continuing in picture-in-picture mode after pressing the back button, have also been reported. Resolving these issues in the JioCinema app is crucial to enhance user experience, especially with the impending merger with Disney+ Hotstar, as persistent glitches may deter users and diminish the merger’s potential benefits. M9.News