Sony's (6758.T) India unit has finalised a deal with local rival Zee Entertainment (ZEE.NS) to merge their television channels, film assets and streaming platforms, joining forces to take on the likes of Netflix and Disney in India.
India, still heavy on direct-to-home TV entertainment, has in the past few years seen a surge of competition from streaming platforms including Netflix Inc (NFLX.O), Amazon.com Inc's Prime Video and Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Hotstar.
The Sony-Zee alliance, with about 75 news, entertainment, sports and movie channels, now stands to overtake Disney's Star India as the country's biggest player.
The combined entity, which will be nearly 51%, owned by Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and 3.99% by Zee's founders, will feature popular channels such as Sony MAX and Zee TV, and streaming platforms like ZEE5 and SonyLIV.
SPNI will have a cash balance of $1.5 billion at deal close, including an infusion by its own shareholders and the promoters of Zee, the companies said.
Zee's top boss, Punit Goenka, will be named as the CEO and managing director of the merged entity, which will be publicly listed in India. - Reuters
