JioStar debuted JioHotstar, a new streaming service that was developed by combining JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, on Friday. The whole content collection of both over-the-top (OTT) services will be housed on the recently developed platform. The portal will contain material from multiple worldwide studios and streaming services in addition to television series and films from the two merging businesses. Additionally, a free tier for the streaming service has been revealed by the JV. Notably, Viacom18 and Star India successfully merged to form the JioStar joint venture in November 2024.
JioHotstar Streaming Platform Launched Officially
JioStar gave information about the new streaming service and announced the debut of JioHotstar in a press release. According to the corporation, live sports coverage and around 300,000 hours of material would be available on the new platform.
By merging members from both sites, the platform will have over 50 crore users overall at launch. It’s unclear, though, if the stated figure does not include duplicate accounts (those who have both Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema accounts). The new platform also has a new logo, which is basically an asymmetrical seven-pointed star with the name JioHotstar.
For the time being, JioHotstar will be free to use and watch content. To view television series, films, or live sports, users won’t require a subscription. It’s unclear, though, if any content would be protected by a barrier. For those who are “looking for an uninterrupted and enhanced experience,” the JV also mentioned that subscription plans are available. This probably means that paying subscribers can stream the shows at a higher resolution and won’t see advertisements.
Regarding subscriptions, current JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar users will be seamlessly switched to the new platform. According to the firm, when these customers check in for the first time, they can set up their JioHotstar subscriptions. The platform’s new plans, which start at Rs. 149, are available for new users to explore.
JioHotstar will offer a vast array of genres and content forms in ten Indian languages. Movies, television series, anime, documentaries, live athletic events, and more will be available to viewers. Additionally, the portal will have international debuts, according to the business. Disney, NBCUniversal Peacock, Warner Bros., Discovery HBO, and Paramount will also have programming available on JioHotstar.
Additionally, the platform is launching a flagship program called Sparks that will highlight “India’s biggest digital creators” in distinctive ways.
