Hotstar and jiocinema merge with Jiohotstar as Reliance tightens the grip of streaming in India
Two widely used video streaming apps in India, Hotstar and Jiocinema, have been integrated into Jiohotstar.
Jiostar, a joint venture between VIACOM18 and Star India, owned by Reliance, said on Friday it integrated Jiocinema content into an improved version of Disney’s Hotstar platform.
The merged service features films and television shows from Disney, Warner Bros., NBCUniversal, and Paramount, aiming to reach more than 500 million users across the country.
The merger followed the $8.5 billion merger of Reliance with Walt Disney’s Indian assets last year, creating a joint venture that manages around 85% of the Indian streaming market and half of its television audience.
“Entertainment is no longer a privilege, but it’s a shared experience for everyone,” said Kiran Mani, Jiostar’s digital chief executive. The group said existing Jiocinema subscribers will migrate to Jiohotstar when their current subscription expires.
The merger brings India’s most valuable sports rights on one platform, including cricket properties such as the Indian Premier League and the International Cricket Council Tournament, in addition to the Football Premier League and the FIFA World Cup.
Jiocinema apps will be phased out after existing customer subscriptions expire. Jiocinema subscribers can migrate “seamlessly” and set up a Jiohotstar subscription, the company said.
This integration reflects the challenges foreign media groups face in price-sensitive markets in India. Netflix and Amazon Prime are struggling to increase their paid subscriptions despite their heavily invested in local content.
Jiohotstar provides content in 19 languages and creates 30,000 hours of television shows each year. Basic subscription plans start at £149 ($1.71).
The venture brings together over 100 television channels and nearly 300,000 hours of entertainment content.