JioHotstar – the newly consolidated streaming service formed from the merger of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar – has officially been launched. The platform brings together content libraries and premium sports broadcasting rights, and follows the merger of Viacom18 and Star India in late 2024, which had led to the creation of JioStar, a media entity backed by Reliance and The Walt Disney Company.
With an estimated 500 million users at launch, JioHotstar seems to be on the path to becoming India’s largest OTT platform, offering a mix of Bollywood and Hollywood films, regional programming, live sports, original web series, and international content. The new service also incorporates features such as multi-angle sports streaming, AI-driven content recommendations, and support for multiple languages. “At the core of JioHotstar is a powerful vision—to make premium entertainment truly accessible to all Indians. Our promise of Infinite Possibilities ensures that entertainment is no longer a privilege, but a shared experience for all. By integrating AI-driven recommendations and offering streaming in over 19 languages, we are personalizing content like never before,” Kiran Mani, CEO – Digital, JioStar, commented on the development.
Premium users will gain access to higher resolution streaming, an ad-free experience (except for live sports), and simultaneous viewing on multiple devices. The cheapest plan starts at ₹149 for three months (₹499 on an annual basis) and will let the user access content on only one mobile device. The next tier is the Super tier, which costs ₹299 for three months (₹899 annually) for a year, letting the user access content on any two devices at a time. Next comes the Premium (ad-free plan), which costs ₹499 for three months (₹1,499 on an annual basis) and letting the user watch content on any four devices.
JioHotstar will also come with AI-powered recommendation engine, which analyzes user preferences to suggest tailored content, as well as a content library of over 300,000 hours, encompassing Bollywood blockbusters, regional cinema, Hollywood films, and critically acclaimed web series. The platform supports streaming in multiple Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi, doing away with linguistic barriers and making it accessible and understandable to viewers across the country. “JioHotstar is setting a new benchmark for digital-first entertainment. The platform is immersive, inclusive, and audience centric. While we have endless entertainment to offer, we are committed to continually innovate and elevate storytelling, ensuring that every Indian, regardless of language, discovers content they love,” Kevin Vaz, CEO – Entertainment, JioStar, announced.
JioHotstar users will also have access to exclusive streaming rights for titles from Disney, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO, and Paramount. And in addition to this, beyond mainstream films and TV shows, JioHotstar is also expanding into niche content areas such as anime, documentaries, and reality programming. In this vein, the conglomerate rolled out Sparks, a digital-first initiative featuring popular Indian content creators. In addition to this, JioHotstar has also secured exclusive digital rights to major sporting events. The platform will stream all ICC events, the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Women’s Premier League (WPL), and the Indian Super League (ISL), alongside coverage of Wimbledon and the Pro Kabaddi League. It has also partnered with the BCCI and state cricket associations to air key domestic and international cricket tournaments.
