iWorld
JioHotstar clocks 451 million monthly users in FY26, says Ambani
700 million watched IPL 2026 as platform hit 72.5 million concurrency record.
MUMBAI: Streaming may be the new prime time, and JioHotstar is clearly playing to a packed house. Reliance Jio’s streaming platform JioHotstar averaged 451 million monthly active users (MAUs) in FY26, cementing its position as India’s largest streaming platform and one of the biggest globally, according to Reliance Jio Infocomm Chairman Akash Ambani.
Speaking at Reliance Industries’ 49th Annual General Meeting (AGM), Ambani said the platform’s scale reflects the rapidly evolving consumption habits of Indian audiences, who are increasingly turning to digital platforms for everything from live sports and entertainment to interactive experiences.
With an average monthly user base of 451 million, JioHotstar has grown into a digital heavyweight in a market where attention is the most fiercely contested currency. The platform’s reach places it among the world’s largest streaming services and highlights Reliance’s growing influence across India’s entertainment ecosystem.
But the company is not content with simply keeping viewers glued to their screens. JioHotstar is now experimenting with a new content-commerce model that blends entertainment and shopping into a single experience.
The feature allows users to discover and purchase products while watching content without leaving the platform, reflecting a broader industry shift towards shoppable entertainment and frictionless digital commerce.
On the sports front, JioHotstar continued to flex its streaming muscle. Ambani revealed that the platform recorded a world-record 72.5 million concurrent viewers in India during the recent T20 World Cup, setting a new benchmark for live digital sports consumption.
The achievement is part of a broader dominance in large-scale live streaming. According to Ambani, nine of the ten highest global live-streaming concurrency records are now held by JioHotstar, underlining the platform’s ability to attract massive audiences during marquee sporting events.
Cricket, unsurprisingly, remains one of the biggest drivers of engagement. JioHotstar drew more than 700 million viewers during IPL 2026, further demonstrating the league’s unmatched ability to command attention across television and digital platforms.
The numbers also highlight how live sports have become a cornerstone of streaming growth, helping platforms attract audiences at a scale rarely seen in entertainment content alone.
For Reliance, the performance of JioHotstar and JioStar represents more than just strong viewership figures. It signals the emergence of an integrated entertainment ecosystem that spans broadcast television, streaming, sports, commerce and digital engagement.
As audiences increasingly move between screens rather than platforms, Reliance is betting that scale, exclusive content and seamless user experiences will keep viewers within its ecosystem.
With 451 million monthly users, 700 million IPL viewers and a record 72.5 million concurrent audience during the T20 World Cup, JioHotstar’s latest numbers suggest that India’s streaming wars are becoming less about catching up and more about keeping pace with a platform that continues to raise the bar.
