Rohit Jain launches Tiger TV, a streaming service for Hindi and Punjabi content

MUMBAI: Hollywood made it big on Indian screens. Now Punjabi and Hindi are next in line. Lionsgate Play is launching Tiger TV, a dedicated Hindi and Punjabi entertainment platform, on 15 October, aimed at audiences in India and key international markets. Rohit Jain, founder and CEO of Lionsgate Play, has set an ambitious target: a portfolio of Hindi and Punjabi content intellectual property (IP) worth more than Rs 500 crore over the next three years.

The ambition is spelled out in numbers. Tiger TV will offer more than 50 title premieres in its first year and launch across 12 markets. It aims to premiere one new show or movie every week across the two languages. The plan is to be a curated destination for regional entertainment, not a language section within an existing streaming catalogue. The company is targeting more than 135 million Hindi- and Punjabi-speaking households in India and over 7.5 million households across key diaspora markets.

The Punjabi slate comes with real star power. Exclusive titles include Laal Salaam, Rubb Rakha, Jahankilla, Hanji Kaun, Janaur, Ikk Tu Hoven Mutiyare and Tu Te Punjab. The lineup features Diljit Dosanjh, Ammy Virk, Gippy Grewal, Neeru Bajwa, Sonam Bajwa and Arminder Gill. The Hindi slate includes Jeevan Ya Bheema Con, Mantu Bhaiya Ki Dili Dezire, The Taj Story and Aakhri Sawal. At the launch, the company also unveiled the first look of Daanav, a Hindi crime thriller original starring Angad Bedi and Pooja Gor. The series explores the world of serial killers and the psychology behind their actions.

There is a technology twist too. Jain introduced Eklavya, the first project in a slate of upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) led initiatives from Lionsgate Play. The project is aimed at exploring new approaches to storytelling and content creation, and introduces Yug R.Ai, the platform’s first AI actor.

Jain is clear about the strategy. “When we started Lionsgate Play, Hollywood was a category no one in India had built for. We built it, and in doing so created a niche and a position that is ours alone. Tiger TV applies that same playbook to regional entertainment,” he said.

“Every language is important, and each deserves a razor-sharp service of its own, with full-blown programming for the audience that lives in it, not a language tab or a dubbed shelf. Punjabi is where we begin, and the model is built to be replicated across India,” he added. Jain said streaming had removed linguistic boundaries, creating an opportunity for regional stories to reach audiences beyond their traditional markets.

Now to availability. Tiger TV will be available from 15 October on the Lionsgate Play app across Asia, where it requires a separate subscription. It will also be offered through a standalone app in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The company plans to expand distribution through Amazon Prime Video Channels and YouTube Primetime Channels in the coming weeks. The launch will be backed by Lionsgate Play’s existing base of 5 million paying subscribers.

In India, Tiger TV will be priced at Rs 349 per quarter and Rs 799 per year. In the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, subscriptions will start at 5.99 per month in the respective local currencies.

The analysis is simple. At Rs 799 a year, Tiger TV works out at about Rs 67 a month, and the quarterly plan at about Rs 116 a month. That is a modest entry price for a service promising a fresh title every week. Rs 500 crore of IP over three years is roughly Rs 167 crore a year, a serious commitment to original and exclusive content. Add the 5 million paying subscribers at Lionsgate Play to build on, and a global diaspora that wants Punjabi stories in its own language, and the logic of the “playbook” Jain describes is hard to miss. First Hollywood, now Punjabi and Hindi, with other languages promised next.