K Madhavan to step down as Viacom18-Disney Star merger closes

Ahead of the formal restructuring announcement for the Disney-Star and Viacom18 merger, two key executives—K Madhavan, Country Manager & President of Disney Star, and Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney+ Hotstar India—have chosen to opt out of the merged entity.

Sources also confirm that Star's senior leadership is already aware of these developments.

The restructuring was expected following the $8.5-billion merger of these media giants, with some leaders receiving expanded roles, new hires being brought in, and exits taking place.

Recently, JioCinema appointed Ishan Chatterjee as Chief Business Officer, reflecting Viacom18’s focus on strengthening leadership as part of the integration.

However, Madhavan and Sivanandan's departures will be the first high-profile exits from Disney Star, signalling significant changes ahead as the merged entity aligns operations and leadership for future growth.

K Madhavan has played a pivotal role in steering Disney Star to the forefront of both linear television and streaming markets, delivering premium content across diverse regions.

As the Country Manager & President of Disney Star, Madhavan has been responsible for driving strategy and growth across the company’s key verticals that include general entertainment, sports, direct-to-consumer, and studios. This includes managing the operations of TV channels and Disney+ Hotstar while overseeing channel distribution, advertising sales, and an expansive local content production unit.

Under his leadership, Disney Star produced nearly 20,000 hours of original programming annually, spanning 70+ channels in nine languages and reaching close to 700 million viewers monthly. Madhavan's tenure helped shape Star’s regional entertainment portfolio into a formidable segment, catering to various audiences with high-quality programming.

Before joining Star India in 2009 as its South Head, Madhavan was instrumental in establishing Asianet as a market leader in Malayalam television, securing over 50% of the market share during his tenure as MD and CEO (2000-2008). With a strong focus on regional programming, he managed to set new benchmarks in South India, building a strong foundation for Star’s regional dominance.

On the other hand, as the Head of Disney+ Hotstar in India, Sajith Sivanandan spearheads the platform’s strategy, growth, revenue, and product operations.
In his role, Sivanandan works closely with Disney+ teams across key regions, including the United States, APAC, and EMEA, to align goals and ensure seamless collaboration.

Sivanandan’s efforts have been instrumental in expanding Disney+ Hotstar’s reach, establishing it as India’s largest streaming service.

Sivanandan began his career at Star TV, followed by roles at The Gallup Organization and Affle, where he was based in Singapore. He later joined Google, playing a pivotal role in building Google's Malaysian operations from scratch. Over time, he expanded his responsibilities, managing operations across Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and several emerging markets.

After spending two decades in Southeast Asia, Sivanandan returned to India, where he was instrumental in scaling the Google Pay business. His expertise in driving growth across multiple markets eventually led him to Disney+ Hotstar in 2022, where he has since been shaping the platform’s strategic direction and operations in India.

e4m reached out to Disney Star for a comment, but had not received a response till the time of publishing.