Sajith Sivanandan Resigns As Head Of Disney Hotstar Following Reliance Merger: Report

Following the merger, Disney and Reliance will collectively operate over 100 TV channels and 2 streaming apps, positioning themselves to compete with major players like Sony, Netflix, and Amazon Prime

Sajith Sivanandan, the head of Disney's Hotstar streaming app in India, has reportedly resigned from his position. This decision comes as the company moves forward with its business integration following the $8.5 billion merger with Reliance’s media assets, according to a Reuters report citing three sources familiar with the matter.

His resignation coincides with a recent internal directive stating that all live sporting events of the newly merged entity, including the highly popular Indian Premier League (IPL), will be streamed exclusively on Disney's Hotstar app rather than on Reliance's JioCinema. This marks a significant step in the integration process aimed at establishing India’s most extensive entertainment company.

However, leadership has yet to determine whether JioCinema will remain a standalone app, according to two of the sources cited in the report. Sivanandan, along with representatives from Disney and Reliance, did not respond to inquiries from the news agency.

Following the merger, Disney and Reliance will collectively operate over 100 TV channels and two streaming apps, positioning themselves to compete with major players like Sony, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

Sajith Sivanandan served as the head of Disney's Hotstar for over two years, following a lengthy 15-year tenure at Google, where he held various key roles. 

In contrast, JioCinema is currently led by Kiran Mani, another former Google executive who joined Reliance's media unit roughly a year ago. 

JioCinema has secured broadcasting rights to highly lucrative content, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches, which are among the most streamed events in the country, as well as the Winter Olympics and the Indian Super League (ISL) football matches. Meanwhile, Hotstar retains rights to the International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments in India, along with English Premier League (EPL) soccer. This competitive landscape sets the stage for significant viewership battles between the two platforms.