iWorld
Quo vadis Disney+Hotstar? Quo Vadis JioCinema?
MUMBAI: Will the joint venture between Reliance’s Viacom18 and Disney Star India result in the integration of their respective streaming platforms – JioCinema and Disney+Hotstar – into one? Speculation has been running rife, and various guesses have been made.
Initial predictions were that Disney+Hotstar would become a button on the JioCinema app. When Reliance acquired Viacom18, it had merged three streaming services under it – Voot, Voot Select, Voot Kids – into JioCinema. The reasoning was that Disney + Hotstar would meet the same fate, at that time.
Then media reports appeared stating that the two would stay as separate streaming services, one for sports and the other for entertainment.
Other pundits had followed up theorising that premium content would move to Disney+Hotstar and it would continue as an SVoD service, and JioCinema would end up being the AVOD product. More guesses followed that it would be the other way round, with JioCinema becoming the premium SVOD offering and Disney+Hotstar being the AVOD one.
Now a report in The Economic Times has stated that sources close to the matter told the newspaper that JioCinema’s fate has been decided. That Disney + Hotstar is going to be the sole streaming platform that will be left after the merger because of its superior technological backend and infrastructure.
The report also cites download numbers from the Google Play store for Disney+Hotstar which stood at 500 million and for JioCinema that were at a much lower 100 million. Disney+Hotstar, according to the ET report, had 335 million active users in Q4 2023, while JioCinema (according to Reliance’s annual report) had reached an average 225 million monthly users. Finally, Disney+Hotstar had 35.5 million paid subscribers of June 2024 much lower than the 61 million it had when it streamed the IPL and HBO shows.
Which way will Reliance and Disney+Hotstar swing? No confirmation or direction was given by either Reliance or Disney+Star India. Neither to ET or to any other publication.
But let’s look at how the mouse house is working with its three major services in the US, Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu. It offers Hulu with advertising at $10.99 a month; Hulu with no ads at $18.99 a month. Disney+ premium is offered at $13.99 a month ($139.90 per year); Disney+ standard at $9.99 ($99.90 a year) and Disney+ standard with ads at $5.99 a month. Then it offers different bundles. Disney+ and Hulu with ads at $10.99 a month. Disney+ and Hulu with no ads at 19.99 a month. The Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ trio basic bundle with ads is available at $16.99 a month whereas the same package with no ads can be bought for $26.99 a month. A Disney+, Hulu and Max bundle with ads is available for $16.99 a month; the same without ads costs $29.99 a month.
In March 2024, Disney+ started putting content from Hulu (which has a slight adult tilt to its programming and is geared for a general audience as compared to Disney+ which is more family oriented) onto its app with films and shows from the latter coming alongside the Disney+ offerings.
Disney+ had 150 million subscribers as of December 2023 and Hulu nearly 50 million. That pales compared to Netflix’s latest subscriber numbers at 282.5 million, but it shows that there are many ways that streamers can be targeted and sold to subscribers.
Yes, the Indian consumer is a totally different beast, many may argue and she/he prefers simplicity. But throw in a deal that gives them a financial advantage and they are quite likely to go for it.
So have we heard the last of what lies ahead for Disney+Hotstar and JioCinema?
Until the duo or one of the two or Uday Shankar comes on record, we, at indiantelevision.com believe we might still see some more permutations and combinations being considered before a final announcement is made.
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
