‘Want JioHotstar domain? Fund my studies at Cambridge’: App developer tells Reliance

A Delhi-based app developer, anticipating the merger of Reliance JioCinema and Disney+Hotstar and displaying business acumen and decisive action, bought the “JioHotstar” domain name before Reliance could. He has now written a letter to Reliance asking the company to fund his higher studies in exchange for the domain name.

Also Read: Watch | Reliance-Disney announce joint venture: What does it offer to subscribers?

“My intention of buying this domain was simple: if this merger happens, I might be able to fulfill my dream of studying at Cambridge,” said the app developer who signed off as “A Dreamer”.

The letter has been posted on https://jiohotstar.com, and is addressed to executives of Reliance Industries, according to a report by TOI.

The letter

In the letter, the developer says he is currently working on his startup. He writes that in early 2023 he learnt through social media that Disney + Hotstar was losing daily active users after it lost the streaming licence for the IPL, and it was considering selling or merging Hotstar with an Indian competitor.

He hypothesised (assuming the developer is a man) that since Sony and Zee were pursuing their own merger at the time, Viacom 18 (owned by Reliance) was the only major player with sufficient resources to acquire Disney+Hotstar. He remembered that 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,” he continues in the letter.

Also Read: Reliance-Disney merger: 120 TV channels, 2 streaming platforms in kitty

The developer wrote that in 2021, his project was selected for the Cambridge University Accelerate program. He says it was a transformational experience for him since he could not crack the IIT exam and always wanted to learn from the best. The startup program from Cambridge taught him many valuable lessons and provided insights into the ins and outs of startups – and he got it for free!

However, it was limited in scope, since it was just a startup program.

He writes that Cambridge also offers a full degree program in entrepreneurship which he always dreamed of pursuing, but it was quite expensive and he could not afford it. When the JioHotstar domain became available, he saw his opportunity to make his dream happen.

Also Read: IPL 2023 | JioCinema created record with 45 crore viewers tuning in: Mukesh Ambani

He told Reliance that now the merger has happened, he believes JioHotstar 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,” he continues.

“To acquire this domain, kindly reach out to mail@jiohotstar.com from your company email address with an official letter attached, stating your authorisation to purchase on behalf of Reliance Industries / Viacom 18. 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,” concludes the dreamer.

The merger

The merger between Viacom18 and Walt Disney’s Star India is expected to be officially concluded by early next month after regulatory approvals in India are secured. It has already obtained approvals from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and a conditional approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

Also Read: 3.2 crore Indians watched Argentina vs France WC final live stream: JioCinema

The merger will result in creating India’s biggest media company valued at $8.5 billion.

How to buy a domain name

There are several Domain Registrar companies like godaddy.com, namecheap.com, hostinger.in, onlydomains.com, and so on.

To buy a domain name, follow these steps:

1. Select a reliable domain registrar

2. Decide on your domain name

3. Check the availability of your domain name

4. Purchase and register your domain name

5. Protect your domain