Reliance and Disney Announce Strategic Joint Venture to Bring Together the Most Compelling and Engaging Entertainment Brands in India
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Insights
The formation of a joint venture between Reliance Industries Limited, Viacom18 and The Walt Disney Company represents a significant consolidation within the Indian media and entertainment sector. This strategic move is set to create a dominant player with a comprehensive content portfolio that spans entertainment and sports, positioning the JV to capitalize on India's vast and growing consumer market. With over 750 million viewers, the JV's potential to capture a substantial share of the market is considerable.
As India continues its digital transformation, the JV's focus on innovative and convenient digital entertainment experiences aligns with the increasing demand for streaming services. The investment of ₹11,500 crore signals confidence in the JV's growth strategy and the broader digital entertainment landscape in India. The deal valuation of ₹70,352 crore underscores the substantial scale and market opportunity the JV is expected to command.
The exclusive distribution rights for Disney films and access to over 30,000 Disney content assets greatly enhance the JV's competitive edge. This content library, coupled with domestic productions and sports offerings, provides a diversified mix that caters to a wide range of preferences and demographics, both domestically and among the Indian diaspora.
The financial aspects of the joint venture, including the post-money valuation of approximately US$ 8.5 billion, highlight the significant investment and the expectations for future revenue growth. The capital injection by Reliance Industries Limited is poised to bolster the JV's position in the market, potentially leading to increased market share and profitability. Stakeholder distribution, with RIL holding 16.34%, Viacom18 at 46.82% and Disney at 36.84%, reflects a balance of control and influence that could impact the JV's strategic decisions.
For investors, the long-term value creation potential of the JV could be substantial, given the size of the Indian market and the increasing propensity for digital media consumption. However, the success of the JV will depend on its ability to effectively integrate the diverse content offerings and leverage technology to deliver a seamless consumer experience. The JV's performance will be a key factor to watch, as it could influence stock prices and investor sentiment towards the involved companies.
The JV's strategy to lead the digital transformation of India's media and entertainment industry is ambitious and reflective of global trends towards streaming and on-demand content consumption. By combining Viacom18's and Star India's assets with Disney's content, the JV is positioned to offer a unique value proposition. The chairpersonship of Mrs. Nita M. Ambani, along with Mr. Uday Shankar's strategic guidance, suggests a leadership structure aimed at driving innovation and market penetration.
Furthermore, the JV's exclusive rights to distribute Disney films and productions in India could disrupt the current distribution landscape and potentially reshape consumer viewing habits. The strategic significance of this cannot be understated, as it gives the JV a powerful toolkit to attract and retain subscribers. The impact on competitors and the broader industry ecosystem will be profound, as they will need to adapt to the increased competition and possibly seek similar consolidation opportunities to remain viable.
Companies to merge respective digital streaming and television assets in
Reliance to invest ₹11,500 crore in the Joint Venture
Disney to provide Content License to the Joint Venture
In addition, RIL has agreed to invest at closing ₹11,500 crore (
The transaction values the JV at ₹70,352 crore (
Disney may also contribute certain additional media assets to the JV, subject to regulatory and third-party approvals.
Mrs. Nita M. Ambani will be the Chairperson of the JV, with Mr. Uday Shankar as Vice Chairperson providing strategic guidance to the JV.
The JV will be one of the leading TV and digital streaming platforms for entertainment and sports content in
The JV will seek to lead the digital transformation of the media and entertainment industry in
The JV will also be granted exclusive rights to distribute Disney films and productions in
Speaking about the JV, Mr. Mukesh D Ambani, Chairman & Managing Director of Reliance Industries, said, “This is a landmark agreement that heralds a new era in the Indian entertainment industry. We have always respected Disney as the best media group globally and are very excited at forming this strategic joint venture that will help us pool our extensive resources, creative prowess, and market insights to deliver unparalleled content at affordable prices to audiences across the nation. We welcome Disney as a key partner of Reliance group.”
Mr. Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said, “India is the world’s most populous market, and we are excited for the opportunities that this joint venture will provide to create long-term value for the company. Reliance has a deep understanding of the Indian market and consumer, and together we will create one of the country’s leading media companies, allowing us to better serve consumers with a broad portfolio of digital services and entertainment and sports content.”
Mr. Uday Shankar, Co-founder of Bodhi Tree Systems, said, “We are privileged to be enhancing our relationship with Reliance to now also include Disney, a global leader in media & entertainment. All of us are committed to delivering exceptional value to our audiences, advertisers, and partners. This joint venture is poised to shape the future of entertainment in
The transaction is subject to regulatory, shareholder and other customary approvals and is expected to be completed in the last quarter of Calendar Year 2024 or first quarter of Calendar Year 2025.
Goldman Sachs is acting as financial and valuation advisor and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Khaitan & Co and Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co are acting as legal counsels to RIL and Viacom18 on the transaction. Ernst & Young has provided an independent valuation to RIL and Viacom18, while HSBC India acting as financial advisor has provided a Fairness Opinion to Viacom18.
The Raine Group is acting as lead financial advisor to Disney on the transaction. Citi is acting as a financial advisor to Disney. Cleary Gottlieb served as lead outside counsel to Disney and Covington & Burling and AZB served as legal counsels to Disney on the transaction. BDO has provided an independent valuation to SIPL.
About Reliance Industries Limited
Reliance is India’s largest private sector company, with a consolidated revenue of
Currently ranked 88th, Reliance is the largest private sector company from
About Viacom 18 Media Private Limited
Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of India’s fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform, multi-generational and multicultural brand experiences. Viacom18 defines entertainment in
About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Entertainment, Sports and Experiences. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of
About Star India
With a television network that reaches more than 700 million viewers in nine different languages every month and a streaming platform (Disney+ Hotstar) that has transformed the way
About Bodhi Tree Systems
Bodhi Tree Systems is a strategic investor in consumer technology opportunities in
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS – THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
The terms “Company,” “we,” and “our” are used below to refer collectively to The Walt Disney Company and the subsidiaries through which its various businesses are actually conducted.
Certain statements and information in this communication may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the Company’s expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies, business or financial prospects or outlook, trends, future growth opportunities and drivers; expected benefits of a joint venture with RIL, including future products and service offerings and consumer sentiment, priorities and demand; investments in and structure of joint venture; and other statements that are not historical in nature. These statements are made on the basis of the Company’s views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance and plans as of the time the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update these statements unless required by applicable laws or regulations, and you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from actions taken by the Company, including restructuring or strategic initiatives or other business decisions, as well as from developments beyond the Company’s control, including: the occurrence of subsequent events; deterioration in domestic or global economic conditions or failure of conditions to improve as anticipated; deterioration in or pressures from competitive conditions, including competition to create or acquire content; competition for talent and competition for advertising revenue; consumer preferences and acceptance of our content, offerings, pricing model and price increases, and corresponding subscriber additions and churn, and the market for advertising sales on our direct-to-consumer services and linear networks; health concerns and their impact on our businesses and productions; international, political or military developments; regulatory and legal developments, including failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals; technological developments; labor markets and activities, including work stoppages; adverse weather conditions or natural disasters; and availability of content. Such developments may further affect entertainment, travel and leisure businesses generally and may, among other things, affect (or further affect, as applicable): our operations, business plans or profitability, including direct-to-consumer profitability; our expected benefits from a joint venture with RIL; demand for our products and services; performance of the Company’s content; our ability to create or obtain desirable content at or under the value we assign the content; the advertising market for programming; income tax expense; and performance of some or all Company businesses either directly or through their impact on those who distribute our products.
Additional factors are set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023, including under the captions “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and “Business,” quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, including under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228780283/en/
Reliance
Tushar Pania
tushar.pania@ril.com
The Walt Disney Company
George Cherian
Corporate Communications Disney India & Star India
George.Cherian@disney.com
Mike Long
Corporate Communications
Mike.P.Long@Disney.com
David Jefferson
Corporate Communications
David.J.Jefferson@disney.com
Source: The Walt Disney Company
FAQ
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