The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has raised concerns over the proposed $8.5 billion merger between Reliance and Walt Disney’s media assets in India, citing potential adverse effects on competition. The primary concern revolves around the combined entity’s dominance over cricket broadcasting rights.
The merger, if approved, would create the largest entertainment company in India, rivaling Sony, Zee Entertainment, Netflix, and Amazon. The combined entity would control a portfolio of 120 TV channels and two streaming platforms.
The CCI has issued a notice to Disney and Reliance, expressing apprehensions about their potential control over cricket broadcasting rights. Cricket is immensely popular in India, and the broadcasting rights are estimated to be worth billions of dollars. The CCI is concerned that the merger could give the combined entity excessive pricing power and influence over advertisers.
Reliance and Disney have responded to the CCI’s concerns, offering to divest a small number of television channels to address market power concerns. However, they have maintained their stance on cricket rights, arguing that they are set to expire in 2027 and 2028, making it impossible to sell them at present.
The CCI has asked the companies to provide an explanation within 30 days as to why an investigation into the matter should not be initiated. The approval process for the merger could face delays due to the notice, but the companies have the option to mitigate the concerns by proposing additional concessions.
The merger has raised concerns among antitrust specialists, who had cautioned that it could face rigorous examination, particularly regarding the allocation of sporting rights. The CCI’s notice indicates that the watchdog shares these concerns and believes that the merger could harm competition in the Indian media market.
