Disney Star
An Indian television and streaming media network formerly known as Star India and rebranded as JioStar after its 2024 merger with Viacom18.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Disney Star was the Indian media and entertainment business formed when The Walt Disney Company rebranded Star India in April 2022. Its roots extended to Star TV, which began broadcasting to Asian audiences in 1990 and entered India with a portfolio that included Star Plus, Prime Sports, Star Movies and other international channels. After News Corporation acquired Star in the early 1990s, the Indian operation gradually shifted from primarily imported English-language programming toward locally produced Hindi and regional-language entertainment. The business expanded through channel launches, acquisitions and sports-rights agreements. Star India acquired Vijay TV in 2001 and later developed it into Star Vijay. It launched Star One in 2004, Star Jalsha and Star Pravah in 2008, and acquired Asianet Communications in 2009 to strengthen its Malayalam-language presence. It also expanded into Telugu-language television through the acquisition of Maa TV assets, later branded Star Maa. Its portfolio came to cover general entertainment, movies, sports, regional programming, children's content and television production. Fox Star Studios, an affiliated film-production and distribution business, became part of the broader Indian entertainment portfolio and was renamed Star Studios in 2022. Sports became a central part of the business. Star India secured Indian cricket rights from the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2012 and later won global media rights for the Indian Premier League beginning with the 2018 season. These agreements helped make Star Sports one of the most important sports-media brands in the country. In 2015, Star India launched Hotstar, an online and mobile streaming service combining television programming, films and sports. Hotstar was integrated with Disney+ in India in 2020, creating Disney+ Hotstar and giving Disney a major subscription and advertising-supported streaming platform in the market. Disney acquired Star India's parent company, 21st Century Fox, in a transaction completed in March 2019. Star India consequently became part of Disney India, alongside Disney's existing Indian operations. Disney later reorganized its international television brands, closed or reduced some English-language channel operations, and emphasized Indian-language entertainment, movies, sports and streaming. The Star India name was replaced by Disney Star in April 2022. Disney subsequently evaluated strategic alternatives for its Indian television and streaming assets. In 2023 and 2024, it negotiated with Reliance Industries over a combination with Viacom18. The transaction combined Disney Star's television channels and Disney+ Hotstar with Viacom18's Colors, Sports18 and JioCinema assets. The merged business was reported as having an enterprise value of approximately $8.5 billion, subject to the transaction terms and stated synergies. Reliance and Viacom18 together obtained a controlling interest, while Disney retained a minority stake. The combination received approval from India's National Company Law Tribunal in 2024 and was completed in November 2024, after which the Disney Star business was rebranded as JioStar. In February 2025, JioStar combined JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar into JioHotstar. Disney Star therefore no longer operates as a standalone brand, although many of its channels, rights and content libraries continued within JioStar.
History
The business that became Disney Star originated in Star TV, founded in 1990 as a satellite-broadcasting joint venture associated with Hutchison Whampoa and Li Ka-shing. Its initial channels targeted Asian audiences with English-language entertainment, Chinese programming, sports and international news. News Corporation acquired a controlling interest in 1992 and purchased the remaining stake in early 1993. The Indian operation subsequently developed from a largely imported-content service into a major domestic television network. During the 2000s, Star India expanded its local-language footprint and portfolio. It acquired Vijay TV in 2001 and rebranded it Star Vijay, launched Star One in 2004, and introduced Bengali and Marathi general-entertainment channels Star Jalsha and Star Pravah in 2008. A regulatory change affecting foreign ownership of Indian news operations led Star India to form a joint venture with the Anandabazar Patrika group for Star News. Star later exited that arrangement, and the channel became ABP News. Star India also acquired Asianet Communications in 2009, strengthening its position in Malayalam-language media, and established or expanded other entertainment, shopping, film and regional businesses. Sports rights became one of the company's most important growth engines. In 2012, Star India secured BCCI rights for Indian national-team home matches and domestic competitions. It reorganized its sports brands in 2013 under the Star Sports name and in 2017 won global media rights for the Indian Premier League beginning in 2018. The rights portfolio linked television distribution with digital streaming and made sports a central component of Star India's commercial strategy. Star India entered streaming in February 2015 with Hotstar. The platform combined serials, films, multilingual programming and live sports, and helped Star distribute content beyond traditional television. Disney acquired 21st Century Fox in a transaction completed in March 2019, bringing Star India into Disney's Indian operations. In April 2020, Hotstar was integrated with Disney+ in India as Disney+ Hotstar. Disney later reduced some English-language television operations in India and adjusted the international use of Star-related brands. The Star India name was replaced by Disney Star in April 2022. The rebranded business retained a broad portfolio spanning general entertainment, movies, sports, children's programming, regional channels, film production and streaming. In parallel, Disney reviewed strategic options for its Indian assets. Negotiations with Reliance Industries led to a proposed combination with Viacom18, the Reliance-backed business operating Colors, Sports18 and JioCinema. The transaction combined the two groups' television, sports and streaming assets. Reliance and Viacom18 together received control of the new company, while Disney retained a minority position. The transaction was approved through the relevant Indian corporate process and completed in November 2024. Disney Star was then rebranded as JioStar. In February 2025, JioStar unified JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar as JioHotstar, marking the end of Disney Star as a standalone operating identity.
- 2025
JioHotstar launches
[1]JioStar combines JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar into JioHotstar.
- 2024
Disney Star merges with Viacom18
[1]The combined company adopts the JioStar identity, ending Disney Star's standalone operation.
- 2022
Star India becomes Disney Star
[1]The Indian media business adopts the Disney Star name.
- 2020
Disney+ Hotstar is created in India
[1]Hotstar is combined with Disney+ for the Indian market.
- 2019
Star India joins Disney India
[1]Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox makes Star India a Disney subsidiary.
- 2017
IPL global media rights are won
[1]Star India wins a five-year Indian Premier League rights agreement beginning with the 2018 season.
- 2015
Hotstar launches
[1]Star India launches a multilingual online and mobile streaming platform.
- 2012
BCCI cricket rights are won
[1]Star India obtains television and mobile rights for Indian home cricket and domestic competitions.
- 2009
Asianet Communications is acquired
[1]The acquisition expands Star India's Malayalam-language television presence.
- 2001
Vijay TV is acquired
[1]Star India acquires the South Indian broadcaster Vijay TV and later brands it Star Vijay.
Products and positioning
A broad-reach Indian entertainment and sports network serving mass-market, regional-language and premium audiences through television, digital streaming and content production.
Hindi general entertainment television
Star Plus
Star Plus became one of the group's principal Hindi-language general-entertainment channels. Although it began with an English-language orientation, it evolved into a mass-market Hindi service built around scripted series, reality programming, family entertainment and locally produced formats.
Sports television
Star Sports
Star Sports was the group's principal sports television network in India. Its portfolio included cricket and other sporting events distributed through multiple language and high-definition feeds. BCCI cricket rights and Indian Premier League rights made the network a central part of Disney Star's television and digital strategy.
Streaming service · 2020
Disney+ Hotstar
Disney+ Hotstar was the Indian streaming platform created by combining Hotstar with Disney+. It offered Disney content alongside Star television programming, Indian films, regional-language content and live sports. Its technology, audience and content library became part of JioStar's JioHotstar service.
Bengali general entertainment television · 2008
Star Jalsha
Star Jalsha is a Bengali-language general-entertainment channel launched to serve audiences in West Bengal and Bengali-speaking communities. Its programming has included serial drama, reality formats, films and locally produced entertainment.
Marathi general entertainment television · 2008
Star Pravah
Star Pravah is a Marathi-language entertainment channel serving audiences in Maharashtra and Marathi-speaking households. It expanded Disney Star's regional-language presence through serials, reality programming and other locally produced formats.
Tamil general entertainment television · 2001
Star Vijay
Star Vijay developed from Vijay TV, which Star India acquired in 2001. The Tamil-language channel became a major regional entertainment service with scripted programming, reality shows, music and other locally relevant content.
Telugu general entertainment television
Star Maa
Star Maa was created through Star India's acquisition and rebranding of Maa TV assets. It strengthened the company's position in Telugu-language television through entertainment programming, serials, reality formats and films.
Film production and distribution · 2022
Star Studios
Star Studios was the post-2022 name of Fox Star Studios, the Indian film-production and distribution business associated with Star India. The renaming removed the Fox identity following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017TED Talks India – Nayi Soch
India
Star India partnered with TED on a Hindi-language television series hosted by Shah Rukh Khan. The program adapted TED's speaker-led format for Indian television and focused on ideas and personal perspectives.
Outcome. The series extended the TED Talks format into Hindi-language mainstream television.
Brand decisions
2024
Merge Disney Star with Viacom18M&ABackground
Disney pursued strategic alternatives for its Indian television and streaming operations while Reliance sought to combine its media assets.
Action taken
Disney Star was combined with Viacom18 and related Reliance assets into a new joint venture, with Reliance and Viacom18 holding control and Disney retaining a minority stake.
Aftermath
The combined company adopted the JioStar identity, and Disney Star ceased operating as a standalone business.
Reported transaction value. $8.5 billion including stated synergies (2024)
2022
Rebrand Star India as Disney StarStrategyBackground
Disney was integrating its Indian television and streaming businesses after acquiring 21st Century Fox.
Action taken
Disney India changed the Star India corporate identity to Disney Star.
Aftermath
The identity remained in use until the business merged with Viacom18 in 2024.
2020
Combine Hotstar with Disney+ in IndiaProduct launchBackground
Disney had acquired Star India through the 21st Century Fox transaction.
Action taken
Disney integrated Hotstar with Disney+ to create Disney+ Hotstar for the Indian market.
Aftermath
The combined service became one of the central streaming assets later transferred to JioStar.
2015
Launch HotstarProduct launchBackground
Star India sought to extend its television, film and sports offering to mobile and online audiences.
Action taken
The company launched Hotstar as a multilingual streaming platform.
Aftermath
Hotstar later became the foundation for Disney+ Hotstar in India.
2003
Restructure Star News ownership to comply with Indian regulationStrategyBackground
Indian rules limited foreign equity in news and current-affairs broadcasting.
Action taken
Star India formed a joint venture with the Anandabazar Patrika group, with Star India holding a minority interest in the company operating Star News.
Aftermath
Star India later exited the venture, and the channel became ABP News.
Sources1 sources
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