iWorld
Winter came early as Westeros rides into town
MUMBAI: Winter didn’t wait for the premiere. It arrived early, with dragons, banners and buzzing fandom, as JioHotstar hosted an exclusive, fan-first screening of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, giving Indian audiences an early return ticket to Westeros.
More than a conventional preview, the evening was designed as an immersive plunge into the sprawling mythology of the Game of Thrones universe. The venue was transformed with themed installations and interactive zones that echoed the scale, symbolism and drama of George R.R. Martin’s world, turning the screening into an experience rather than just an episode drop.
Adding to the atmosphere was a strong showing from the creator community, with personalities such as Anisha Dixit, Rohan Shah, Kashish Kapoor, Shubhi Joshi, Andre Borges, Aryan Giri, Omkar Palande, Tanmay Jadhav and Shiv Thakare mingling freely with fans. The easy interaction blurred the line between audience and influencer, creating a shared celebration of a franchise that has long thrived on collective fandom.
The event underlined JioHotstar’s growing emphasis on immersive, fan-led storytelling, extending engagement beyond the screen and into real-world experiences that mirror the scale of the content itself.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms begins streaming on JioHotstar from 19 January, with new episodes dropping every Monday. The series will be available in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, ensuring Westeros speaks to fans across regions as the saga unfolds once more.
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.
