Disney Star Asianet is an Indian media company based in

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

owned by

Disney Star Disney Star Private Limited is an Indian media conglomerate and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Disney Star network runs more than 70 TV channels in eight languages, reac ...

, a wholly owned subsidiary of

The Walt Disney Company India The Walt Disney Company India Private Limited, known simply as Disney India, is the Indian subsidiary of the Indo Pacific region of the American media and entertainment conglomerate The Walt Disney Company and headquartered in Mumbai, Maharasht ...

. Disney Star Asianet operates Malayalam channels

Asianet Asianet may refer to: Disney Star channels *Asianet Communications, an Indian media company wholly owned by Disney Star **Asianet (TV channel), a Malayalam language general entertainment channel **Asianet Plus, a Malayalam language general entertai ...

, Asianet HD,

Asianet Plus Asianet is an Indian Malayalam language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. Asianet and its channels are operated by Asianet Star Communicat ...

Asianet Middle East Disney Star Private Limited is an Indian media conglomerate and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Disney Star network runs more than 70 TV channels in eight languages, reac ...

, and

Asianet Movies Asianet is an Indian Malayalam language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. Asianet and its channels are operated by Asianet Star Communicat ...

. Malayalam and Kannada news channels,

Asianet News Asianet News (formerly Asianet Global) is an Indian free-to-air Malayalam-language news channel owned by Asianet News Network. Asianet News Network operates as a subsidiary of Jupiter Entertainment Ventures (Jupiter Capital Ventures). The chann ...

(formerly Asianet Global) and

Suvarna News Asianet Suvarna News is a Kannada news channel owned by Asianet News Network, a news media subsidiary of Jupiter Capital Private Limited. The majority shareholder of the company is Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is a Rajya Sabha member from the Bha ...

(formerly Asianet Suvarna), are wholly owned by Asianet News Network (ANN), a subsidiary of Jupiter Capital. Asianet News Network channels,

Asianet Digital Network Asianet Star Communications, formerly Asianet Communications, is an Indian media company headquartered in Trivandrum owned by Disney Star, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Asianet Star Communications operates Malayalam ch ...

are wholly owned by

Asianet Satellite Communications Asianet Satellite Communications Private Limited, is an Indian List of multiple-system operators, multi system operator (MSO). It is the largest cable network services company in Kerala since its inception in 1993. It is a market leader in Sou ...

divisions under (

Cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broadc ...

Broadband In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports multiple signals at a wide range of frequencies and Internet traffic types, that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections. ...

& Teleshopping,

Consumer Electronics Consumer electronics or home electronics are electronic (analog or digital) equipment intended for everyday use, typically in private homes. Consumer electronics include devices used for entertainment, communications and recreation. Usually r ...

, OTT,

Pay television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription business model, subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichan ...

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution (business), distribution of sound, audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio ...

) is a

Telecommunication Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...

Company. Asianet News Network channels, Asianet Satellite Communications Telecommunication Company, Disney Star Asianet channels use the brand-name and the "Asianet" logo.

History

Asianet Communications was the first entertainment television company in Malayalam.

Star India Disney Star Private Limited is an Indian media conglomerate and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Disney Star network runs more than 70 TV channels in eight languages, reac ...

started discussions with the then owners of the Asianet in August, 2008. Star India eventually bought a 51% stake in Asianet Communications and formed joint venture with JEV in November, 2008. The joint venture, called "Star Jupiter", comprised all general entertainment channels of Asianet Communications (

Asianet Suvarna Star Suvarna is an Indian Kannada language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. The channel telecasts Kannada language programmes such as dra ...

and

Asianet Sitara Asianet Star Communications, formerly Asianet Communications, is an Indian media company headquartered in Trivandrum owned by Disney Star, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Asianet Star Communications operates Malayalam cha ...

) and

Star Vijay Star Vijay is an Indian Tamil language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly Star India), a subsidiary of Asianet Star Communications. The channel's headquarters is in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Star Vijay change ...

. Star India had reportedly paid $235 million in cash for the 51% stake and assumed net debt of approximately $20 million. Star India increased its stake in Asianet Communications to 75% in July 2010 (for which Star India paid around $90 million in cash), and to 87%, by acquiring 12% stake for $160 million in June, 2013. The later move was by virtue of acquiring a 19% equity stake in Vijay TV from

Rajeev Chandrasekhar Rajeev Chandrasekhar (born 31 May 1964) is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is the incumbent Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology of India. He is also an ...

and Asianet Communications MD Madhavan. Following the June, 2013 investment, Asianet Communications was valued at $1.33 billion. Star India acquired 100% stake in Asianet Communications (buying the remaining 13% stake) in March, 2014. Upon Disney acquiring Fox, Asianet Star Communications, along with all of Star India's subsidiaries, became subsidiaries of

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

, and restructuring put them under

. On 14 April 2022, Disney India rebranded Asianet Star Communications to Disney Star Asianet.

Radio

Best FM 95 was run by Asianet Communications. Best FM 95 had two FM radio stations in Kerala, Thrissur and Kannur. Best FM 95 was launched on January 13, 2008.

References

External links

Official site
{{Television in India Disney India Disney Star The Walt Disney Company subsidiaries Mass media companies of India Television networks in India Companies based in Thiruvananthapuram Television stations in Thiruvananthapuram Television channels and stations established in 1991 Television stations in Kochi Mass media companies established in 1991 Indian companies established in 1991 1991 establishments in Kerala Indian subsidiaries of foreign companies Television broadcasting companies of India