JioHotstar Expands Globally Without Sports Content

Indian streaming service JioHotstar, controlled by Reliance Industries, is launching its international expansion. Starting September 2, the platform will replace Hotstar in the UK, Canada and Singapore, offering over 160,000 hours of entertainment content. The catalog includes Indian films, original series, reality shows like Bigg Boss, and live broadcasts from Star-branded channels such as Star Plus and Colors.

A key feature of the global launch is the absence of live sports, which have been a major driver of growth in India. Domestically, the service boasts over 500 million monthly active users and covers major events like the Indian Premier League (IPL), national team matches, and tennis and football tournaments. Sports content will not be available in international versions at launch due to licensing restrictions, though the company has not ruled out future additions.

JioHotstar is available in 12 languages, including English, Hindi and regional Indian languages. Subscription prices vary by country: £19.99 per quarter or £69.99 per year in the UK, CA$19.99 and CA$49.99 in Canada, and SG$29.98 and SG$69.98 in Singapore. For comparison, India’s basic subscription starts at ₹79 per month. The company plans to expand into other markets, though the US is not among its initial targets.

The expansion follows the 2024 merger of Reliance’s media assets with Disney. This consolidation created a unified JioHotstar service in India, now covering 85% of the country’s streaming audience. Internationally, the platform targets the South Asian diaspora and global viewers interested in Indian content.