Abstract

The case “Reliance Enters Sports Broadcasting: Is the Arena Set for a Shake Up?” talks about the probable consequences of the entry of multinational conglomerate and India’s largest private sector company Reliance Industries Ltd. into the Indian sports broadcasting space through its subsidiary Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Limited. The case documents the series of measures that Viacom18 took in that regard including bidding for the broadcast rights of various prestigious global sporting events and the appointment of rival Star Sports’ Executive Vice President of Advertising Sales, Anil Jayaraj as CEO of its Sports Business. The case also provides the opinion of a few industry observers who thought that RIL’s entry would not only provide it with a host of business benefits, but also change the sports broadcasting landscape in India that was a duopoly dominated by foreign media companies. With its first sports channel, will RIL expand the viewership pie and develop new monetization avenues, apart from shifting the focus of sports broadcasters in India from cricket to other sports?

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Study aspects related to brand extension and brand building.
• Assess the efficiency of the diversification strategy adopted by a conglomerate and discuss to what extent it was likely to fulfil its long-term objectives.
• Analyze the monetization strategies that could be introduced by a new market player.
• Scrutinize a duopoly and the ways to disrupt the particular competitive landscape.
• Understand the issues and constraints faced while entering a market with established players.

Keywords

Business Strategy; Market Entry Strategy; Horizontal Business Diversification; Brand Building; Monetization Models; Duopoly; Market Disruption; and Competitive Strategy; Brand Extension; Brand Building; Business Risk; Building New Sports Properties; Strong Market Player; Sports Broadcasting Innovations; Business Synergies