Mukesh Ambani may now partner with Netflix to up the content game

• India’s richest Mukesh Ambani is now looking for a tie-up with streaming giant Netflix, according to a Reuters report citing sources.
  
• In this partnership, Network 18 will produce shows for Netflix and help it expand in the country.
  
• Reliance could produce as many as 10 shows for Netflix under this deal.
  
• Reliance and Netlflix are in the early stage of talks and are still negotiating the terms of the deal.

After at least eight investments worth $13 billion in its three-year old Jio, including a stake sale and partnership with Facebook, India’s richest Mukesh Ambani is now looking for a tie-up with streaming giant Netflix, according to a Reuters report citing sources.

Viacom 18 is in talks with streaming giant Netflix for a multi-year partnership where the latter will source Indian content for its audience, the report said.

Viacom 18 is a joint venture controlled by Network 18 — which is also a subsidiary of Ambani’s ₹10.28 trillion Reliance Industries.



In this partnership, Network 18 — which also constitutes IBNlive.com, Moneycontrol.com, Firstpost.com, Homeshop 18 and Viacom 18 — will produce exclusive shows for Netflix, while other content partnerships, like the one with Amazon Prime Video, will continue separately.

READ ALSO: Inside the Reliance Jio deals – Akash Ambani was the one to choose Facebook, the next big investments and the ideas sold to investors

There’s no official announcement from either of the companies yet. Moreover, A Netflix spokesperson denied any such developments. However, according to Reuters, Reliance and Netlflix are in the early stage of talks and are still negotiating the terms of the deal where Viacom18 could produce as many as 10 shows for Netflix under this deal.


This comes as his Jio platform is planning for an initial public offering in 2020.

SEE ALSO : EXCLUSIVE: Reliance Jio may have to pick between Google and Microsoft for its final tranche of investments