Hotstar and JioCinema merge into JioHotstar as Reliance tightens grip on streaming in India

Hotstar and JioCinema, two popular video streaming apps in India, have merged to form JioHotstar.

JioStar, a collaboration between Viacom18 and Star India owned by Reliance, announced the integration of JioCinema’s extensive content library into an enhanced version of Disney’s Hotstar platform.

The combined app will showcase movies and TV shows from major studios like Disney, Warner Bros, HBO, NBCUniversal, and Paramount, with the goal of reaching over 500 million users in India.

This merger follows Reliance’s acquisition of Walt Disney’s Indian assets last year, resulting in a joint venture that controls a significant portion of India’s streaming market and television viewership.

Kiran Mani, JioStar’s digital CEO, stated, “Entertainment is now a shared experience for all,” announcing that current JioCinema subscribers will move to JioHotstar upon subscription renewal.

The collaboration brings India’s premier sports rights under one roof, including cricket events like the Indian Premier League and International Cricket Council tournaments, as well as soccer leagues like the Premier League and FIFA World Cup.

Existing JioCinema app users will transition to JioHotstar as their subscriptions expire, ensuring a seamless process, as per the company’s statement.

This merger highlights the challenges faced by foreign media companies in India’s competitive market. Netflix and Amazon Prime have also encountered difficulties in growing their paid subscriber base despite heavy investments in local content. Amazon’s acquisition of MX Player last year demonstrates its commitment to expanding its video streaming service with a plethora of original shows and films. Sensor Tower reported MX Player as the third most popular video streaming app in December.

JioHotstar will offer content in 19 languages and generate 30,000 hours of television programming annually, with subscription plans starting at ₹149 ($1.71).

The venture unites over 100 TV channels and nearly 300,000 hours of entertainment content on a single platform.