iWorld
Quo vadis Disney+Hotstar? Quo Vadis JioCinema?
MUMBAI: Will the joint venture between Reliance’s Viacom18 and Disney Star India result in the integration of their respective streaming platforms – JioCinema and Disney+Hotstar – into one? Speculation has been running rife, and various guesses have been made.
Initial predictions were that Disney+Hotstar would become a button on the JioCinema app. When Reliance acquired Viacom18, it had merged three streaming services under it – Voot, Voot Select, Voot Kids – into JioCinema. The reasoning was that Disney + Hotstar would meet the same fate, at that time.
Then media reports appeared stating that the two would stay as separate streaming services, one for sports and the other for entertainment.
Other pundits had followed up theorising that premium content would move to Disney+Hotstar and it would continue as an SVoD service, and JioCinema would end up being the AVOD product. More guesses followed that it would be the other way round, with JioCinema becoming the premium SVOD offering and Disney+Hotstar being the AVOD one.
Now a report in The Economic Times has stated that sources close to the matter told the newspaper that JioCinema’s fate has been decided. That Disney + Hotstar is going to be the sole streaming platform that will be left after the merger because of its superior technological backend and infrastructure.
The report also cites download numbers from the Google Play store for Disney+Hotstar which stood at 500 million and for JioCinema that were at a much lower 100 million. Disney+Hotstar, according to the ET report, had 335 million active users in Q4 2023, while JioCinema (according to Reliance’s annual report) had reached an average 225 million monthly users. Finally, Disney+Hotstar had 35.5 million paid subscribers of June 2024 much lower than the 61 million it had when it streamed the IPL and HBO shows.
Which way will Reliance and Disney+Hotstar swing? No confirmation or direction was given by either Reliance or Disney+Star India. Neither to ET or to any other publication.
But let’s look at how the mouse house is working with its three major services in the US, Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu. It offers Hulu with advertising at $10.99 a month; Hulu with no ads at $18.99 a month. Disney+ premium is offered at $13.99 a month ($139.90 per year); Disney+ standard at $9.99 ($99.90 a year) and Disney+ standard with ads at $5.99 a month. Then it offers different bundles. Disney+ and Hulu with ads at $10.99 a month. Disney+ and Hulu with no ads at 19.99 a month. The Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ trio basic bundle with ads is available at $16.99 a month whereas the same package with no ads can be bought for $26.99 a month. A Disney+, Hulu and Max bundle with ads is available for $16.99 a month; the same without ads costs $29.99 a month.
In March 2024, Disney+ started putting content from Hulu (which has a slight adult tilt to its programming and is geared for a general audience as compared to Disney+ which is more family oriented) onto its app with films and shows from the latter coming alongside the Disney+ offerings.
Disney+ had 150 million subscribers as of December 2023 and Hulu nearly 50 million. That pales compared to Netflix’s latest subscriber numbers at 282.5 million, but it shows that there are many ways that streamers can be targeted and sold to subscribers.
Yes, the Indian consumer is a totally different beast, many may argue and she/he prefers simplicity. But throw in a deal that gives them a financial advantage and they are quite likely to go for it.
So have we heard the last of what lies ahead for Disney+Hotstar and JioCinema?
Until the duo or one of the two or Uday Shankar comes on record, we, at indiantelevision.com believe we might still see some more permutations and combinations being considered before a final announcement is made.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
