Harsh Sheth to lead Star Bharat’s channel business

Sheth has been a long-time fixture at the former Disney Star where he has served in a variety of roles for the past decade

by e4m Staff
Published: Nov 15, 2024 11:19 AM | 2 min read

Harsh Sheth is poised to lead Star Bharat’s channel business in the new JV (joint venture) between Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Viacom18 Media, and The Walt Disney Company.

Sheth has been a long-time fixture at the former Disney Star where he has served in a variety of roles for the past decade, the most recent being Business Head for Hindi and English Movies for Disney Star and Hotstar, a position he took over in July of last year.

Sheth’s previous stints have included various business and strategy roles at Times Network as well as the entity formerly known as Star India. Prior to this he worked at TAM Media Research.

The newly formed merger, approved by all relevant Indian and global regulatory authorities, unites Viacom18's and JioCinema's media assets with Star India, creating a media conglomerate valued at approximately Rs 70,352 crore (US$8.5 billion). RIL has further invested Rs 11,500 crore (US$1.4 billion) in the JV to bolster its growth into a media and entertainment behemoth, set to change the paradigm of the Indian content landscape.

RIL, as the majority shareholder with a 56% stake, leads the JV. Disney holds 36.84%, while Viacom18 contributes 46.82%. This strategic alliance brings together some of India's most beloved entertainment brands, including Star, Colors, JioCinema, and Hotstar, under a single entity. The newly formed media powerhouse will operate over 100 TV channels, produce over 30,000 hours of content annually, and cater to a combined digital subscriber base exceeding 50 million.