Tata Group is set to buy Walt Disney Co’s minority stake in Tata Play, giving it full control of the subscription television broadcaster. The transaction values Tata Play Ltd. at about $1 billion, Bloomberg reported, quoting people familiar with the matter. With this deal, Tata Group gets full control of the TV platform after buying the 29.8% stake from Disney.
Earlier this year, Tata Group increased its stake in Tata Play by 10%, to take it slightly over 70%, after buying out Temasek Holding Pte’s stake. Temasek first invested in Tata Sky in 2007.
As per reports, Disney’s Tata Play stake sale will allow the US media giant to focus on the merger of its Indian unit with Viacom18. Disney signed a binding agreement in February 2024 to combine its India unit with Viacom 18, creating an $8.5 billion entertainment giant.
Tata Play was incorporated in 2001 as a joint venture between Tata Group and TFCF Corp., formerly known as Twenty-First Century Fox. The company provides pay television via set-top boxes and over-the-top video streaming through its app and has a pan-India footprint of 23 million connections.
Tata Play in 2022 filed confidentially for a domestic initial public offering but the listing has yet to happen.
Read more: Tata strengthens grip on Tata Play with increased stake purchase: