iWorld
JioHotstar yanks pricing upwards for India’s streaming addicts
MUMBAI: JioHotstar has decided that India’s binge-watching habit needs a financial reality check. From 28 January, the streaming behemoth is jacking up prices across its Super and Premium tiers whilst simultaneously dangling monthly plans like carrots for those unwilling to commit long-term.
The damage? Premium’s annual subscription vaults from Rs 1,499 to Rs 2,199—a 47 per cent surge that might make even cricket fanatics reconsider their priorities. Super’s yearly plan climbs from Rs 899 to Rs 1,099, whilst quarterly rates get a similar nudge upwards. Mobile users clutching their handsets dodge the bullet on existing plans but gain a new Rs 79 monthly option for the budget-conscious.
JioHotstar’s justification? Indians have apparently abandoned squinting at phones in favour of proper television viewing. Large-screen consumption has skyrocketed, the company claims, prompting this “alignment” with how households actually watch content. Translation: if you’re streaming on the sofa rather than on the bus, you’ll pay more for the privilege.
Hollywood content, previously available across tiers, now sits firmly behind the Super and Premium paywalls for new subscribers. Mobile devotees must shell out extra for their Tinseltown fix through a paid add-on—because nothing says customer service like nickel-and-diming your loyal base.
Existing subscribers can dodge the increases by keeping auto-renewal switched on, a clever bit of customer retention disguised as generosity. JioStar SvoD business head and chief marketing officer Sushant Sreeram, said the price hikes reflect “flexibility” and “premium storytelling.”
With a billion downloads on Google Play and 450m monthly active users, JioHotstar clearly reckons it has India hooked. The platform’s betting that viewers are too invested in their streaming habits to jump ship. Whether that gamble pays off—or whether rival platforms start circling like sharks—remains to be seen. One thing’s certain: India’s streaming wars just got pricier.
iWorld
JioStar revenue hits Rs 9,784 crore as cricket fuels 22 per cent growth
A surge in digital viewership and sports dominance fuels a blockbuster quarter for the media giant
MUMBAI: JioStar is batting on a flat pitch. The media titan’s fourth-quarter results for the financial year 2026 reveal a business scaling new heights, propelled by an unprecedented appetite for premium sports and digital-first storytelling.
Gross revenue for the quarter soared by 22.15 per cent to Rs 9,784 crore, up from Rs 8,010 crore in the third quarter. Operationally, the momentum was equally strong; revenue from operations climbed 21 per cent to Rs 8,372 crore. These figures underscore the firm’s successful integration following the Reliance and Disney merger, creating a dominant force in the Indian market.
The annual performance has been nothing short of a spectacle. Full-year gross revenue reached a massive Rs 36,248 crore, while annual profit after tax hit Rs 3,210 crore. This rapid expansion reflects JioStar’s ability to capture and monetise the massive growth in India’s media consumption.
Cricket proved to be the ultimate growth engine. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and TATA IPL 2026 delivered “record-breaking viewership” across both television and digital screens. The World Cup final alone drew a global peak concurrency of 72.5 million on JioHotstar, cementing its status as the nation’s premier streaming destination. On television, JioStar maintained a commanding 34.2 per cent viewership share, reaching a staggering 810 million viewers nationwide.
The digital numbers were just as impressive. JioHotstar averaged 500 million monthly active users, driven by consistent subscriber growth and innovative AI-led content discovery tools. These advancements are ensuring that JioStar remains at the cutting edge of the global “Race for Attention.”
With a firm grip on the country’s most valuable sporting rights and a rapidly growing digital footprint, JioStar is perfectly positioned for the future. It has built the ultimate content powerhouse—one that is ready to dominate the Indian living room for years to come.
