With many surprises and twists surrounding the JioHotstar domain name, it has recently takenup another turn with a new website called 'JioStar' going live.
In the latest development, the sudden appearance of this new website has sparked speculation that it could be the next big player in India's OTT market.
Although, as now, the website just displays a "Coming Soon" message.
Screengrab | jiostar
The JioHotstar Domain Drama
For months, the internet has been buzzing with many rumors about the future of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar post their merger.
However, the main question that sorrounded was which platform would dominate the scene? At the early phase of the speculations, many assumed the merger would lead to a new platform named 'JioHotstar'.
But, these speculations reached a peak when in an unexpected turn of events the domain named JioHotstar.com was acquired by a Delhi-based app developer who initially intended to sell it to Reliance for a fee to fund his education.
However, it didn't end there. The anothet twist to this came when the domain was unexpectedly purchased by Dubai-based siblings Jainam and Jivika Jain.
Sreengrab | jiohotstar
Recently, in an interesting turn of events adding to the saga, the Jain siblings offered the domain to Reliance for free, confirming their decision was entirely voluntary and not influenced by any external pressure.
"With all the discussions happening, we now think it might be best for Team Reliance to have this domain, if they want it. We are happy to give jiohotstar.com to them for free, with all the proper paperwork. To be clear, this is entirely our choice. No one from Reliance or any legal group has contacted us or pressured us in any way. We made this decision on our own, without any pressure from friends, family, or anyone else," said it a statement in the jiohotstar website.
Enter JioStar - The New OTT Player?
As the dust settles over the JioHotstar domain, a new website, JioStar.com, has popped up with the tagline "Coming Soon" now.
The site’s minimalist design, offering no further details, has left industry observers guessing about its purpose. Moreover, many believe now that this could be the name of the new OTT platform that will emerge from the Reliance-Disney merger.
While Reliance has yet to make an official announcement, the timing of the website's launch suggests that JioStar is gearing up to take the OTT market by storm.
The platform could feature content from both JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, combining the strengths of both existing platforms into a single powerhouse.
However, the exact details of the content-sharing strategy remain unclear.
About the Reliance-Disney merger
The Reliance-Disney merger is a deal valued at a massive USD 8.5 billion. Approved by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), the merger will give Reliance a 60 per cent stake in the joint venture through its Viacom18 business, while Disney will hold 37 per cent.
