Walt Disney is holding preliminary discussions with potential buyers for its India streaming and television business including billionaires Gautam Adani and Kalanithi Maran, according to people familiar with the matter.
The US entertainment giant’s senior executives have also gauged the interest of private equity funds considering the company is exploring a range of options, which could involve selling part of the Indian operations or a combination of the unit’s assets including sports rights and regional streaming service Disney+ Hotstar, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private.
Disney has been weighing strategic options for its business in India including an outright sale or setting up a joint venture after the unit lost its IPL streaming rights to Viacom18 Media. Viacom is a joint venture between Reliance, Paramount Global and Uday Shankar’s investment firm Bodhi Tree Systems.
An acquisition could complement Maran’s broadcasting company, Sun TV, while for the Adani group, it could help expand its newly acquired NDTV, the people said.