Delhi Developer Buys JioHotstar.com Domain, Hopes to Fund Cambridge Dream with Reliance Deal

A Delhi-based app developer has acquired the domain jiohotstar.com, speculating on the potential merger between Reliance's Viacom18 and Disney+ Hotstar. The developer, who is also a startup founder, hopes to sell the domain to Reliance and use the funds to fulfill their dream of studying at Cambridge University.

Earlier this year, the merger between Star India, which operates Disney+ Hotstar, and Viacom18, a company owned by Reliance Industries, received approval from the Competition Commission of India and the National Company Law Tribunal. This merger is expected to bring both streaming services under one unified brand.

On the jiohotstar.com website, the developer has written an open letter to Reliance, explaining how they recognized the potential of the domain after reading news about the possible sale of Hotstar. They believe "JioHotstar" would be an ideal name for the merged platform and are hopeful that Reliance will consider purchasing the domain.

The developer shared their reasoning by saying, "I thought if they acquire Hotstar, they might rename it to JioHotstar.com." They expressed the desire to use the proceeds from the domain sale to fund their studies at Cambridge University.

The practice of buying domain names in hopes of selling them later, known as domain parking, is a common strategy. However, it remains uncertain whether Reliance will be interested in this branding suggestion as the merger process continues.

The $8.5 billion merger between Reliance and Walt Disney seeks to integrate the content from both Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema into a single platform, raising questions about the future branding of the new entity.

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