Reliance’s JioHotstar takes its streaming empire global — without sports
JioHotstar will only have entertainment content when it launches in the UK, Canada, and Singapore.
JioHotstar, a streaming platform owned by Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, is expanding its services globally for the first time by replacing Hotstar in the UK, Canada, and Singapore. The new platform will launch with over 160,000 hours of entertainment content, but without live sports, a major draw for JioHotstar's Indian users.
This strategy is due to existing content deals, although the company has not ruled out adding sports in the future. The absence of sports at JioHotstar's global launch sets it apart from the Indian version, which boasts more than 500 million monthly active users and features sports content such as cricket and the English Premier League.
JioHotstar will begin its global rollout on September 2, with the Hotstar service ceasing to exist in the three markets. Users will be able to access JioHotstar using their existing login credentials and on various devices, including mobile phones, connected TVs, and through the App Store and Google Play Store. Despite being unavailable in the U.S., JioHotstar will offer a variety of Indian films, TV originals, reality shows, and live TV channels in 12 languages.
The platform's initial subscription prices in the UK, Canada, and Singapore are similar to those of Hotstar, but JioHotstar will initially focus on entertainment content without sports.
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