In a strategic consolidation, JioStar has launched JioHotstar, integrating India's most valuable sports rights onto a single platform. This merger, involving Reliance-owned Viacom18 and Star India, unifies the content offerings of JioCinema and Disney's Hotstar. With this move, JioHotstar now hosts premium sports content, including cricket properties like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments, as well as soccer's Premier League and FIFA World Cup. The platform aims to reach over 500 million users in India, reflecting the growing influence of streaming in the country's entertainment sector.
JioHotstar's revamped platform offers an impressive library that includes content from Disney, Warner Bros, HBO, NBCUniversal, and Paramount. The integration brings hundreds of thousands of hours of local content, over 100 TV channels, and a variety of movies and TV shows. This significant expansion positions JioHotstar as a formidable player in India's competitive streaming market, which has been challenging for foreign media groups due to its price-sensitive nature.
The new service offers subscription plans starting at ₹149 ($1.71) for three months with ads and ₹299 ($3.45) per month for an ad-free experience. The ad-free tier allows simultaneous viewing across four screens, while the ad-supported model limits it to one. This pricing strategy is designed to appeal to a wide demographic, furthering JioHotstar's reach across the country.
Existing JioCinema subscribers can transition seamlessly to JioHotstar, ensuring continuous access to the expanded content library. The platform's offering of 30,000 hours of television programming annually in 19 languages underscores its commitment to providing diverse and extensive content for Indian audiences.
"Entertainment is no longer a privilege, but a shared experience for all," – Kiran Mani, JioStar’s digital chief executive.
While JioHotstar strengthens its foothold in the market, competitors like Amazon are also ramping up their efforts. Amazon's acquisition of MX Player last year led to an aggressive expansion with the release of over 100 original shows and movies. In December, MX Player ranked as the third most popular video streaming app in India, following Hotstar and JioCinema.
Leave a Reply