Breaking Disney exploring options to sell or join venture Disney Star India Business

[Ashok Varma]

I would like to share a different opinion here:

If Disney is having difficulties in running Star TV (considering the underestimation it has made about the Indian viewers), It should do either of the following :

1. Sell it off to Tata Group. Tata has a variety of businesses except television broadcasting. They already have a satellite TV service (just to confirm, Tata Play is not a broadcasting company, it's a service provider) and having a broadcaster like Star would be like another jewel to Tata's crown.

2. Hand it over to Comcast. Although I am not at all in favour of this, as Comcast has a bad reputation with it's broadband customers. However it could be a valuable deal, as it already owns Sky TV, a former brand of the News Corporation. And if NBC and Sky could exist under one umbrella, then Star can do so as well. And if Comcast merges it with Sky without killing the brand (as Disney did after acquiring Fox), then Sky could potentially enter India on it's own, a thing which NewsCorp tried to do in the past but failed due to government regulations.

3. Handover to NewsCorp. This one is least anticipated. If Star is handed over to NewsCorp, it would serve as a homecoming, as the Murdochs used to own Star TV from the beginning and they runned it very successfully alongside it's own brands Fox (USA) and Sky (UK). But I don't think it'll be possible anymore because NewsCorp has virtually exited the broadcasting business after Disney and Comcast took over two of it's most profitable broadcasting properties Star and Sky respectively.

TATAs have good option to promote thier retail business like Reliance, but International players might not interested due to low margins in India.

 

[dino29]

I would like to share a different opinion here:

If Disney is having difficulties in running Star TV (considering the underestimation it has made about the Indian viewers), It should do either of the following :

1. Sell it off to Tata Group. Tata has a variety of businesses except television broadcasting. They already have a satellite TV service (just to confirm, Tata Play is not a broadcasting company, it's a service provider) and having a broadcaster like Star would be like another jewel to Tata's crown.

2. Hand it over to Comcast. Although I am not at all in favour of this, as Comcast has a bad reputation with it's broadband customers. However it could be a valuable deal, as it already owns Sky TV, a former brand of the News Corporation. And if NBC and Sky could exist under one umbrella, then Star can do so as well. And if Comcast merges it with Sky without killing the brand (as Disney did after acquiring Fox), then Sky could potentially enter India on it's own, a thing which NewsCorp tried to do in the past but failed due to government regulations.

3. Handover to NewsCorp. This one is least anticipated. If Star is handed over to NewsCorp, it would serve as a homecoming, as the Murdochs used to own Star TV from the beginning and they runned it very successfully alongside it's own brands Fox (USA) and Sky (UK). But I don't think it'll be possible anymore because NewsCorp has virtually exited the broadcasting business after Disney and Comcast took over two of it's most profitable broadcasting properties Star and Sky respectively.

Comcast (NBC Universal ) and Mudrochs r now partners in Viacom18 with both showing lot of interest in further investing more in the venture and expanding the TV + OTT business.... NBC Universal content is already available on Jio Cinema and even many shows being aired on English GEC channels of Viacom18...they may launch a new English Movie + Dubbed Hollywood Movie Channel soon which is likely to air Universal Pictures film library.

Each partner in Viacom18 most probably have areas allocated where they will work and run/grow business while they will also leverage each other's resources to scale up the overall presence foothold in TV + OTT space

 

[Ashok Varma]

Comcast (NBC Universal ) and Mudrochs r now partners in Viacom18 with both showing interest in further investing more in the venture and expanding its TV + OTT business

Now they are interested to expand more in OTT business like Disney and Reliance Jio, not in TV business with no growth.

 

[Zeta Reticuli]

Offtopic-
@dino29 don't expect English movies channel from Viacom18 network,

 

[Ashok Varma]

Offtopic-
@dino29 don't expect English movies channel from Viacom18 network,

@dino29 gives so many ideas to every network, but they are in no mood to launch new channels as viewers are in OTT mood

 

[dino29]

@dino29 gives so many ideas to every network, but they are in no mood to launch new channels as viewers are in OTT mood

Just wait and watch, i am quite sure they will launch a English Movie Channel and possibly a Dubbed Hollywood Movies Channel very soon

 

[Aksgr]

I would like to share a different opinion here:

If Disney is having difficulties in running Star TV (considering the underestimation it has made about the Indian viewers), It should do either of the following :

1. Sell it off to Tata Group. Tata has a variety of businesses except television broadcasting. They already have a satellite TV service (just to confirm, Tata Play is not a broadcasting company, it's a service provider) and having a broadcaster like Star would be like another jewel to Tata's crown.

2. Hand it over to Comcast. Although I am not at all in favour of this, as Comcast has a bad reputation with it's broadband customers. However it could be a valuable deal, as it already owns Sky TV, a former brand of the News Corporation. And if NBC and Sky could exist under one umbrella, then Star can do so as well. And if Comcast merges it with Sky without killing the brand (as Disney did after acquiring Fox), then Sky could potentially enter India on it's own, a thing which NewsCorp tried to do in the past but failed due to government regulations.

3. Handover to NewsCorp. This one is least anticipated. If Star is handed over to NewsCorp, it would serve as a homecoming, as the Murdochs used to own Star TV from the beginning and they runned it very successfully alongside it's own brands Fox (USA) and Sky (UK). But I don't think it'll be possible anymore because NewsCorp has virtually exited the broadcasting business after Disney and Comcast took over two of it's most profitable broadcasting properties Star and Sky respectively.

None of them are good idea.
No foriegn entity is intrested to run buisness in india. They want syndication deals. As india is their largest market but it comes with a price

Secondly, tata buying tv buisness wont be a good idea for them as it would be very difficult for them to compete with the Viacom or sonyzee.

Tata could take over IPs from star india like movies and use it for tata play

 

[StoriesWithPK]

None of them are good idea.
No foriegn entity is intrested to run buisness in india. They want syndication deals. As india is their largest market but it comes with a price

Secondly, tata buying tv buisness wont be a good idea for them as it would be very difficult for them to compete with the Viacom or sonyzee.

Tata could take over IPs from star india like movies and use it for tata play

Tata Group won't invest in entertainment divison. They're more focused on manufacturing sector to compete with China.

 

[StoriesWithPK]

Blackstone eyes leading role in Disney India reel - The Economic Times

Private equity firm Blackstone is reportedly in talks with Walt Disney to discuss the potential acquisition of Disney's streaming and television business in India. The discussions may involve the purchase of specific assets, such as sports properties and media rights, as well as the Disney+...

m.economictimes.com

The senior India leadership of both companies have held multiple meetings in recent weeks. Blackstone is exploring either buying the business partially — a combination of assets including sports properties and media rights, and the Disney+ Hotstar streaming service — or the whole portfolio that also includes its linear TV franchise such as the flagship Star India TV network, OTT and a 30% stake in Tata Play (Tata Sky earlier), the people said.

 

[Aksgr]

Blackstone eyes leading role in Disney India reel - The Economic Times

Private equity firm Blackstone is reportedly in talks with Walt Disney to discuss the potential acquisition of Disney's streaming and television business in India. The discussions may involve the purchase of specific assets, such as sports properties and media rights, as well as the Disney+...

m.economictimes.com

The senior India leadership of both companies have held multiple meetings in recent weeks. Blackstone is exploring either buying the business partially — a combination of assets including sports properties and media rights, and the Disney+ Hotstar streaming service — or the whole portfolio that also includes its linear TV franchise such as the flagship Star India TV network, OTT and a 30% stake in Tata Play (Tata Sky earlier), the people said.

They have ties with RIL. They could just finance viacom in purchase with star and get shares.