India’s OTT shake-up: What JioHotstar means for the streaming biz

A year after Reliance Industries and Disney signed a deal to merge their media businesses in India, JioStar, the recently formed joint venture, announced the launch of JioHotstar on February 14, integrating JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. With nearly 300,000 hours of entertainment in 10 languages and over 500 million users, the platform is expected to create 'a globally unprecedented milestone in the streaming industry'.

Featuring content from Disney, NBCUniversal Peacock, Warner Bros. Discovery HBO, and Paramount, JioHotstar offers subscription plans starting at Rs 149 for three months. It aims to provide "something almost no other streaming service globally offers" to its audience.

However, unlike JioCinema, which offered much of its content for free, users will now need to subscribe to JioHotstar. They can view content for a limited time before requiring a paid plan. The IPL, which has been streaming free since JioCinema acquired the rights in 2023, will now be behind a paywall.

According to sources, it will still be free for Jio Mobile and WiFi customers, covering 475 million mobile users and 14 million CTV users.

Will the new platform change India's OTT landscape?

Ashish Bhasin, founder of The Bhasin Consulting Group, stresses the need for Indian OTT apps to balance accessibility and revenue—ensuring ease of entry while remaining financially viable.

“In India, most consumers are reluctant to pay high prices for content. While a small, price-inelastic segment exists, the majority resist what they see as high pricing. Bundled, cost-effective models will drive wider adoption, making OTT even more mainstream,” he says.

Bhasin believes maintaining this balance is JioHotstar's biggest challenge. Moving behind a paywall will inevitably reduce subscribers, as users are accustomed to free access.

Large events like the IPL, with mass appeal, may temporarily boost subscriptions, but many users might cancel afterwards. The long-term impact depends on when subscribers' numbers stabilise.

“Fewer subscribers mean lower ad revenues, as advertisers—especially FMCG brands relying on mass reach—may find it less attractive. They may pull back until numbers rise again.” 

Ashish Bhasin, The Bhasin Consulting Group

Consistently delivering high-quality content is key to sustained growth. While securing content temporarily is easy, the challenge lies in maintaining long-term quality, he adds.

Consumers prioritise content over platforms; if the content is engaging, they will watch. “However, success also depends on keeping prices reasonable,” Bhasin notes.

According to media analyst Rajesh Sethi, competitors are likely to increase their sports content. But Jio’s telecom reach of over 481 million users give it an edge, he says.

Sethi sees significant upside for JioHotstar’s subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) revenue. The Champions Trophy in February and the IPL provide a wealth of sports content that drives engagement. Coupled with new releases and a mix of fiction and non-fiction, the platform is well-positioned for growth, he says.

However, Sethi foresees challenges for content providers. With HBO, Peacock, and other major players on one platform and recurring sports rights renewals, negotiations will be more complex.

“With such a massive user base, JioHotstar holds the advantage—the economics of scale work in its favour.” 

Rajesh Sethi, media analyst

He also predicts consolidation among smaller players. Regional or niche content providers—whether focused on South, West, East, North India, or Hollywood—may collaborate to form a larger competitive entity. A combined base of 15–20 million subscribers could improve their market position.

Mihir Shah, vice president, Media Partners Asia, says the combination of Jio Cinema and Hotstar has created a powerful platform, poised to accelerate the expansion of India's premium VOD market. 

"This integration isn't just about content; it's about a data-driven user experience that opens up unprecedented opportunities for targeted advertising and personalised subscriptions. Now, the focus shifts squarely to execution."

Mihir Shah, Media Partners Asia

Shah believes success will depend on their ability to innovate with diverse content forms, leverage interactive features to deepen viewer engagement, and deliver a consistently high-quality experience across a large user base.

Anuj Gandhi, founder and CEO of Streambox Media, believes the move does not drastically alter the OTT landscape. While JioHotstar is now bigger, it remains one of many options, and other platforms will continue to thrive.

He suggests JioStar is positioning itself to compete not only with local players such as Zee and Sony but also global giants like Google and Meta, which control 70–75% of digital advertising. These tech giants set the benchmarks for advertisers due to their vast reach and dominance.

“JioHotstar can now enter that space, offering not just eyeballs but premium content—something YouTube and Meta lack. Even if benchmarks are set by big tech, JioHotstar can command a premium while still delivering strong impressions. Smaller players lack the scale to compete, but JioStar now has the size and vision to challenge at that level.” 

Anuj Gandhi, Streambox Media

However, Bhasin contends that Google and Meta function on a different scale and will not experience significant overnight changes. The tech giants have captured over 75% of India’s digital ad spend for the past 10–15 years, and this trend is unlikely to shift soon.

The digital ad market is structured so that, aside from Google and Meta, the next eight to ten major players—such as LinkedIn, Hotstar, and others—account for 10–12%, bringing the total to around 88–89%.

“The remaining 10–11% is split among thousands of smaller platforms. Any market shifts will likely impact these smaller players and mid-tier platforms rather than the dominant ones,” he insists.

What does this mean for advertisers?

The Jio-Hotstar merger presents new opportunities for brands and agencies. Shrenik Gandhi, co-founder and CEO of White Rivers Media, says the partnership, leveraging Reliance’s telecom infrastructure, Jio’s data resources, and Disney’s content, creates a powerful platform for targeted advertising.

“The result is precision-targeted marketing, backed by an extensive content offering and a large user base, positioning JioHotstar alongside global streaming competitors.” 

Shrenik Gandhi, White Rivers Media

The consolidation enables more personalised marketing by utilising cross-platform insights to deliver the message to the right audience at the right time. JioHotstar’s reach allows brands to engage premium audiences and run highly efficient campaigns.

“The platform’s broad reach enables brands to connect with an expanding audience via innovative advertising solutions. JioHotstar’s advanced capabilities are reshaping digital entertainment advertising, offering exciting opportunities for brands to enhance their digital presence and engagement,” he adds.

Siddharth Devnani, co-founder and director of SoCheers, highlights the advantages of a unified platform—eliminating multiple apps, fragmented media plans, and scattered ad spending.

“A single app to reach the audience means less duplication and more unique eyeballs. It’s one powerful space with a massive, consolidated audience—every marketer’s dream.” 

Siddharth Devnani, SoCheers

According to Devnani, this results in greater reach, improved data insights, and more precise targeting for brands and agencies. With millions of users on a single platform, consumer insights will be deeper than ever, enabling highly targeted campaigns that drive results.

“The days of testing waters across multiple platforms are over; now, the focus will be on making a single, high-impact splash,” he concludes.