Disney Hotstar Head Sajith Sivanandan Resigns

Sajith Sivanandan, head of Disney’s Hotstar in India, has reportedly stepped down amid ongoing integration with Reliance’s media assets following an $8.5 Bn merger.

According to Reuters, three sources confirmed that Sivanandan’s departure was announced internally today (October 24). The development follows last week’s decision to consolidate all live sports streaming on the Disney+ Hotstar platform.

The streaming landscape restructuring marks the first major integration step since Disney and Reliance announced their merger to create India’s largest entertainment company. The combined entity will control more than 120 television channels and two streaming platforms, potentially reaching over 750 Mn users.

Sivanandan, who joined Disney+ Hotstar as CEO in October 2022, previously held leadership positions at Google for 15 years, including roles as managing director of Google Pay and Next Billion User Initiatives for Asia Pacific.

During his tenure, Disney+ Hotstar maintained its position as one of India’s leading streaming platforms, with rights to stream International Cricket Council tournaments and English Premier League football matches.

The merger agreement, finalised earlier this year, will give Reliance a 56% stake in the combined entity through its various subsidiaries, while Disney will hold 37%. Bodhi Tree Systems will own the remaining 7%.

Reliance Foundation chairperson Nita Ambani will lead the joint venture, with Uday Shankar serving as vice-chairperson. The companies expect to complete the merger by the end of Q3 FY25, according to recent regulatory filings.

As JioCinema’s sports properties, including the Indian Premier League, are set to move to Disney+ Hotstar, the leadership is still determining the future role of JioCinema as an independent streaming service.