In a smart move, an app developer from Delhi purchased the “jiohotstar.com” domain in anticipation of the merger between Reliance’s Viacom18 and Disney+ Hotstar. In a letter posted on jiohotstar.com, the individual addressed executives of Reliance Industries and stated that the sale of this domain would be “truly life-changing.”
In the letter, the app developer explained how they identified the potential domain opportunity after reading a news piece stating that Disney+ Hotstar was losing daily active users after losing the IPL streaming license, and Disney could sell or merge Hotstar with an Indian competitor.
“My intention of buying this domain was simple: if this merger happens, I might be able to fulfill my dream of studying at Cambridge,” the app developer, who signed the letter as ‘a dreamer’, wrote.
“Now that the merger has actually happened, and news sources are confirming there will be only one site post-merger (either JioCinema or Hotstar.com), I believe JioHotstar.com would be a very fitting brand name for the merged entity. It maintains the brand equity of both brands and provides a rational transition for the current users of both sites,” the individual added.
As the jiohotstar.com domain is now making headlines, the time will tell if Reliance will connect with the developer to purchase the domain.
Also read: Jio Cinema to merge with Disney+ Hotstar: What will happen to movies, shows and IPL streaming
Read the full letter below.
Dear Executive of Reliance Industries,
I am an app developer based in Delhi, currently working on my startup. In early 2023, while scrolling through social media, I came across a news piece stating that Disney+ Hotstar was losing daily active users after losing the IPL streaming license, and Disney is considering selling or merging Hotstar with an Indian competitor.
This led me to hypothesize that, since Sony and Zee were pursuing their own merger, Viacom 18 (owned by Reliance) is the only major player with sufficient resources to acquire Disney+ Hotstar. This reminded me of when Jio acquired the music streaming service Saavn, they rebranded it to JioSaavn, and changed the domain from Saavn.com to JioSaavn.com. I thought, “If they acquire Hotstar, they might rename it to JioHotstar.com.” I checked for the domain, and it was available. I was excited, as I felt that if this happened, I could fund my goal of studying at Cambridge.
In 2021, I was working on a project that was selected for the Cambridge University Accelerate program. It was a transformational experience for me. I couldn’t crack IIT and always wanted to learn from the best, coming from a Tier-II college, being selected for this program was an incredibly valuable and practical experience. The startup program taught me many valuable lessons and provided insights into the ins and outs of startups for free, which was amazing. However, it was limited in scope – after all it was just a startup program.
Cambridge also offers a full degree program in entrepreneurship, which I’ve always dreamed of pursuing but could never afford, It’s Cambridge, quite expensive. When I saw this domain become available, I felt things might just fall into place. My intention of buying this domain was simple: if this merger happens, I might be able to fulfill my dream of studying at Cambridge.
Now that the merger has actually happened, and news sources are confirming there will be only one site post-merger (either JioCinema or Hotstar.com), I believe JioHotstar.com would be a very fitting brand name for the merged entity. It maintains the brand equity of both brands and provides a rational transition for the current users of both sites.
To acquire this domain, kindly reach out to mail@jiohotstar.com from your company email address with an official letter attached, stating your authorization to purchase on behalf of Reliance Industries/Viacom18. For a multi-billion dollar company like Reliance, this will be a minor expense, but for me, the sale of this domain would be truly life-changing.
Best Regards,
A dreamer.