JioHotstar heads to the Gulf with its desi masala mix

MUMBAI: JioHotstar has packed its bags for the Gulf. India’s largest streaming platform is taking its shows into the MENA region through a tie-up with Starzplay. The partners unveiled the deal at a CABSAT event at the Burj Khalifa. Few launch pads stand taller.

The Gulf push comes hard on the heels of launches in the UK and Canada, and a Singapore debut last month.

JioHotstar will not run its own app in the region. It will sit as a dedicated South Asian destination inside the Starzplay app and website. Think of it as a desi store with its own shutter inside a big mall.

So what is on the shelves? New JioHotstar Originals will land in MENA the same day they release in India, with audio tracks in up to 10 languages. Viewers also get popular shows from the JioStar TV channels and a pile of blockbuster films. The reality heavyweights have made the trip too: the upcoming season of Koffee with Karan and the running season of Bigg Boss in six languages.

Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Bangla all feature. Malayalam gets a hefty catalogue of its own, a clear nod to the region’s large Malayali audience. Now the price tag. JioHotstar comes with Starzplay’s PLUS plan at AED 34.99 (€8.47) a month. Sports fans can go up to the MAX plan at AED 49.99 a month, which bundles the full JioHotstar line-up with Starzplay’s sports.

JioStar head of international business Amit Malhotra is bullish. “The strong early response to JioHotstar across the UK, Canada and Singapore has reinforced our belief in the global opportunity for Indian entertainment,” he said. He called MENA “a crucial next market, with one of the world’s largest South Asian diaspora communities and a deep appetite for entertainment across languages.” Starzplay, he added, lets JioHotstar “enter the region with scale.”

For South Asians in the Gulf, the Bigg Boss house and Karan Johar’s couch are now a tap away. The Koffee is brewing in the desert.