IndiaCast Media is allegedly ending its distribution arrangement with Disney India, reports Televisionpost. Disney India is moving its distribution from external channels to internal, according to the report. The deal, which was supposed to run through March 2016, is being terminated prematurely as Disney is working on putting an independent affiliate in IndiaCast’s place. The report also states that Disney had started talks with cable TV operators. IndiaCast and Disney’s joint venture was started at 74:26, of which 74 was in favour of IndiaCast. But the partnership was dismantled last year with the change of laws in India, which dictated that content aggregators could not bundle channels from more than one broadcaster. IndiaCast and Disney had continued to work together via the distribution deal. In January 2013, after the government mandated digitisation of broadcasting in India, TV18 Group had entered into a step down joint venture with The Walt Disney Company where TV18’s distribution bouquet IndiaCast and Disney UTV’s UGBL formed a 74:26 distribution alliance to distribute channels only in India. In 2012, IndiaCast was created through a 50:50 joint venture between TV18 and Viacom18. TV18 held 75% in IndiaCast and 50% in Viacom18. IndiaCast would drive domestic and international channel distribution, placement and content syndication for TV18, Viacom18, A+E Networks, Sun Network Channels and Disney Channels (in the Hindi speaking markets) along with the Eenadu group after it was acquired by TV18. Disney India runs the Disney Channel, Junior, XD, Hungama TV, Bindass, Bindass Play, UTV Movies and UTV…
