The much-anticipated merger of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar is set to shake up India’s streaming world, potentially creating a powerhouse that could dominate the market. As two of India’s most popular OTT platforms with massive subscriber bases, their union has insiders predicting a near-monopoly. While no official announcements have been made, rumours hint at a single platform, potentially called JioHotstar. Yet, there’s a twist—a savvy techie in Delhi has already snapped up the JioHotstar domain name, adding an unexpected hitch to this high-stakes merger.
Before the executives could identify the owner, a bold message had appeared on the website, announcing that Reliance would need to pay over Rs 1 crore to acquire it. The domain owner plans to use the sum (£93,345 or Rs 1,01,72,598) to fund an executive MBA at Cambridge University in the UK.
In an interview with India Today, he expressed uncertainty over whether Reliance would actually pay up, aware of the power imbalance: “I’m well aware that I’m just a small fry compared to Reliance,” he said. “They’ll probably take the domain without paying me a penny—they have the legal clout and resources. But I hope they won’t. I’ve done nothing illegal. Jio is a brand, Hotstar is a brand, but ‘JioHotstar’ isn’t a legal entity as of today—or when I registered it in 2023.”
The domain owner explained that a mix of timing and foresight led him to secure JioHotstar.com before the merger was even announced. He shared that he follows the news closely, especially business developments, and saw potential in the domain after reading early reports of a possible JioCinema and Hotstar merger. Although his friends dismissed the idea, he decided to act, saying it cost him less than Rs 5,000 to register the domain. Since then, he’s been holding onto it, hoping it might eventually fund his executive MBA at Cambridge.
He said to that he had contacted Reliance multiple times, reaching out to various senior officials without receiving any replies. He recalled that when the Reliance Group registered the domain JioHotstar.in in March, he assumed they might be interested in securing JioHotstar.com, given that the ".com" domain is more popular. After receiving no response, he decided to go public.
He later mentioned speaking with a Reliance representative on a Zoom call, but was offered only a few thousand rupees—far less than his investment in registering the domain. The interaction was curt, and the representative abruptly hung up when he refused to disclose his identity and declined their offer. The owner expressed disappointment, noting that the amount he requested for his studies was half of what the expensive watches which were given out at Ambani wedding costed.
He also revealed concerns about the security of his domain, explaining that he was already being targeted. Some individuals had figured out his email address and were attempting to reset the password to take over the domain, resulting in constant password reset notifications. Thankfully, he had not lost control of the domain, but the situation had caused him considerable stress.
The domain JioHotstar now opens to a basic webpage displaying a “JioHotstar” banner, but without any official logos or branding. The page carries a message from the current domain owner, who expresses gratitude to a network of lawyers for their pro bono support: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the lawyers who generously offered their time and guidance. From the Honorable Supreme Court and High Court to legal experts in Cambridge, London, California, Texas, and, to my surprise, Berlin—I'm still amazed this reached German lawyers. Your support means a lot to me,” the message reads.
In the letter, he shared his concerns about his parents, who were “super worried” about the situation and the media attention it garnered. He expressed the difficulty of reassuring them, noting, “Maa baap ka samjhana is so difficult.”
The letter also addressed the reactions on social media, thanking everyone who posted kind words, as well as those who were less supportive. He mentioned that some people viewed him as a “super smart hacker,” which he found disheartening, but he remained optimistic about future opportunities to attend Cambridge without legal drama.