iWorld
Lionsgate Play announces first Indian original show ‘Hiccups and Hookups’
Mumbai: Lionsgate Play, the streaming service platform from Lionsgate India and Starz has announced the release date of its first Indian original series production “Hiccups and Hookups.” The family dramedy will premiere on 26 November, exclusively on the platform.
The Kunal Kohli-directed series will feature Lara Dutta, Prateik Babbar, Shinnova, Divya Seth, Nassar Abdullah, Khalid Siddiqui, Meiyang Chang, Meera Chopra, and Ayn Zoya.
“Hiccups and Hookups” is the story of Vasudha Rao (Dutta), a newly separated single mother living with her brother Akhil Rao (Babbar) and her daughter Kavanya Khattar (Shinnova). As the two coaches each other through the crazy world of dating while raising Vasudha’s teenage daughter, their closeness and honesty allows them to share the good, bad, and ugly side of their relationships. The plot explores multiple layers of the lead characters and how they deal with their own challenges and their baggage with each other. The sassy yet heart-warming series opens doors to accepting a dysfunctional family without any judgment, shared the platform in a statement.
“It gives us immense pleasure to finally reveal the name of our first Indian original series ‘Hiccups & Hookups.’ We are certain the viewers are going to love the onscreen magic created by Lara Dutta, Prateik Babbar, and Kunal Kohli. With our first Indian original series, we aim to stay true to our ethos of entertaining our audience with unique, bold and edgy content,” stated Lionsgate managing director for South Asia and networks – emerging markets Asia Rohit Jain.
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.
