Sajith Sivanandan, the head of Disney’s Hotstar streaming app in India, has resigned, according to the sources familiar with the matter. This development follows closely on the heels of the company’s $8.5 billion merger with Reliance’s media assets, which aims to integrate operations and establish a dominant presence in India’s entertainment sector.
Sivanandan’s resignation comes shortly after an internal decision was made to stream all live sporting events of the newly merged entity, including the highly popular Indian Premier League (IPL), exclusively on Disney’s Hotstar app rather than Reliance’s JioCinema. This move marks an initial step in the integration process following the merger, which seeks to create India’s largest entertainment company.
However, sources indicate that leadership discussions have yet to determine whether JioCinema will continue to operate as a separate entity or be fully integrated into Hotstar. The sources, who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the discussions, highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the future of the two platforms.
Both Disney and Reliance have declined to comment on the matter when approached by Reuters. Following the merger, the combined entity will boast over 100 television channels and two streaming applications, positioning itself to compete robustly against rivals such as Sony, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
Sivanandan has been with Hotstar for more than two years, having previously spent 15 years at Google. Meanwhile, JioCinema is currently headed by Kiran Mani, another former Google executive who has been associated with Reliance’s media unit for approximately a year.
JioCinema holds rights to lucrative content, including IPL cricket, the Winter Olympics, and Indian Super League football. In contrast, Hotstar retains rights to significant sporting events, such as International Cricket Council tournaments and English Premier League soccer matches. The future of these platforms remains a focal point of interest and speculation as the merger progresses.
