iWorld
Moviesphere plus fires up India crime push with The Rookie season 8
MUMBAI: Moviesphere plus has launched a fresh content offensive in India with the return of The Rookie, dropping the first three episodes of season 8 from January 22 as part of a push to sharpen its premium drama credentials.
The move puts one of global television’s most bankable police procedurals at the heart of the Lionsgate-owned platform’s campaign to win Indian viewers who are increasingly spoilt for choice. Season 7 is already streaming on Moviesphere plus, giving audiences a fast-track into the new run.
Fronted by Nathan Fillion, The Rookie has built a devoted following by fusing high-stakes crime with character-driven storytelling. The new season extends those arcs, piling fresh pressure on its cast of cops as new threats and emotional flashpoints drive the drama forward.
The India launch follows the show’s world premiere and adds weight to Moviesphere plus’s strategy of using marquee US series to anchor its local growth. Backed by Lionsgate’s global catalogue of films and television, the streamer is positioning itself as a serious player in India’s premium international content race.
Indian viewers can watch The Rookie season seven now and stream season 8 exclusively on Moviesphere plus from January 22.
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.
