Reliance’s JioHotstar takes its streaming empire global — without sports

Data from India’s Ministry of External Affairs suggests that across the three countries where JioHotstar is launching, the service could have a target audience of more than 4 million people. Some of its content could also appeal to the borader South Asian diaspora.

“South Asian audiences have a deep connection with Indian entertainment across languages, generations, and households. At the same time, audiences globally are increasingly seeking stories and cultures beyond their own. We see an opportunity to build for this broader, underserved global audience – not simply export an Indian streaming service to new markets,” JioStar’s Head of International Business Amit Malhotra said.

JioStar has priced JioHotstar at £19.99 (about $27) quarterly and £69.99 (around $95) annually in the UK. In Canada, subscriptions cost CA$19.99 (about $14) quarterly and CA$49.99 (around $36) annually, while in Singapore they cost SG$29.98 (about $24) and SG$69.98 (around $55), respectively. The prices are similar to what Hotstar charges, but JioHotstar will offer only entertainment content at launch. Customers who want sports may have to pay extra for another service.

By comparison, JioHotstar subscriptions in India start at ₹79 (about $0.80) a month for viewing on a single mobile device and go up to ₹2,199 (around $23) a year for its top-tier plan.