JioHotstar Goes Global, Drops Live Sports

JioHotstar, the streaming platform controlled by Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, is making its first move beyond India's borders. Starting September 2, the service will replace Hotstar in the U.K., Canada, and Singapore, marking the beginning of a broader global expansion. But there's a notable omission: live sports, the very content that has fueled its massive Indian audience, won't be part of the initial launch.

A Global Debut Without Cricket

The streaming service will launch with more than 160,000 hours of entertainment content — but without the Indian Premier League (IPL), Women's Premier League (WPL), or Indian national cricket matches. JioStar said it is not offering sports at launch because of existing content deals, but did not rule out adding them in the future.

This is a stark contrast to JioHotstar's Indian offering, where the company says it has more than 500 million monthly active users and sports is a major audience draw. In India, the service streams some of the country's biggest cricket events alongside the English Premier League, tennis tournaments including Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and domestic leagues for sports such as kabaddi and hockey.

Hotstar's End in Three Markets

JioStar confirmed to TechCrunch that starting September 2, Hotstar will “cease to exist” in the U.K., Canada, and Singapore, with JioHotstar replacing it. Hotstar users in those markets will no longer be able to access the service through the Hotstar app, though their existing login credentials will work on JioHotstar, the company said.

The JioHotstar app will be available in all three markets through the App Store and Google Play Store on mobile devices, as well as on connected TVs.

A Long History of International Presence

For years, Hotstar has operated internationally, including in the U.K. and Canada. It also previously had a stand-alone service in the U.S. before shutting it down in 2021. However, JioHotstar is not launching in the U.S. as part of this initial international rollout. The company plans to expand into additional overseas markets over time.

Content Lineup and Languages

JioHotstar will launch with a trove of Indian films, TV originals, and reality shows like “Bigg Boss,” along with live TV channels under the Star banner such as Star Plus, Colors, Star Vijay, Asianet, Star Jalsha, and Star Pravah. The company said its content is available in 12 languages, including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, and Marathi, with dubs and translations also available.

From Merger to Global Push

In 2024, Reliance merged its media assets with Disney to form an $8.5 billion joint venture. As part of the deal, streaming services Hotstar and JioCinema merged to create JioHotstar for Indian consumers. At the time, the two services accounted for 85% of the streaming audience in India.

Targeting the Diaspora

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 broader South Asian diaspora.

Pricing Strategy

JioStar has priced JioHotstar at £19.99 (about $27) quarterly and £69.99 (around $95) annually in the U.K. 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.

What's at Stake Without Sports

For JioHotstar, this global expansion is a test of whether its entertainment catalog can carry the weight in markets where live sports have been a key differentiator. While the company hasn't ruled out adding sports later, the initial launch positions JioHotstar as a pure-play entertainment service for the diaspora — a bet that Indian films, TV originals, and reality shows have enough pull to attract subscribers on their own.

The absence of sports could also affect subscriber retention. In India, cricket and other live events are major drivers of engagement and subscriptions. Without them, JioHotstar will need to rely on the strength of its entertainment content and the emotional connection of the South Asian diaspora to Indian culture. The success of this move may depend on whether audiences in the U.K., Canada, and Singapore see JioHotstar as a must-have service or just another streaming option.