Viacom18 is reportedly set to merge JioCinema and the Voot app ahead of the Indian Premier League 2023 edition, according to a report in Hindu Businessline. Viacom had acquired the live streaming rights of the highly-popular IPL from 2023 to 2027 for a whopping sum of ₹20,500 crore and now, they are set to have one platform where cricket fans can watch live streaming of the IPL 2023 season. After the merger is completed, there might also be a rebranding of the combined OTT platform. Viacom18 Wins Media Rights of Women’s IPL for Five Years on a Whopping Rs 951 Crore Deal.

Most recently, JioCinema provided the option for fans to watch live streaming of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in India with the platform facing a massive jump in the number of its users. Voot is the flagship OTT platform for Viacom18 which allows users to watch exclusive and premium content but at the cost of a subscription fee while JioCinema provides diverse content across all broadcasters. What’s more, is that JioCinema is completely free. According to the report, the potential reason for this merger is a reduction in tech-related, data and operational costs. Viacom18 Promises To Make IPL Available to Every Indian, After Getting Digital Media Rights of The Lucrative League

JioCinema had earlier been launched under Jio, but it was merged with Viacom18 in 2022 with it being approved by the Competition Commission of India. JioCinema has more users than Voot. It is reportedly going to be merged into JioCinema with some content being put behind a paywall, much like how it works on Voot Select. Viacom18 had earlier won the media rights of the Women's IPL from 2023-27 for a whopping sum of Rs 951 crore.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 25, 2023 12:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).