Earlier this year, Disney merged its Star India business with Reliance Industries, which resulted in the two companies bringing their streaming services, Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema into one single platform, JioHotstar.

This new streaming service offers all of the content that used to be available within Disney+ Hotstar, such as original content from Disney’s core brands such as Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, 20th Century Studios and National Geographic, in addition to original local content, along with Reliance’s lineup of licensed content from major studios such as Paramount and Warner Brothers.

Disney owns 36.84% of the new company, JioStar, which has recently announced that JioHotstar now has more than 100 million subscribers, well ahead of Netflix’s 6 million and Amazon Prime Video’s 20 million.

The combination of Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema was always going to result in a huge boost in subscribers since Disney+ Hotstar had over 35 million subscribers before the merger, and JioCinema had 15 million subscribers.  But by bringing the two services together, which included the streaming rights to India’s most popular sport, Cricket, we’ve seen a drastic increase in subscriber numbers. 

JioStar CEO of Digitial Kiran Mani said in a statement regarding the subscriber milestone being reached:

“We have always believed that world-class entertainment should be accessible to all, and crossing 100 million subscribers is a testament to that vision.  This milestone not only underscores India’s limitless potential but also strengthens our commitment to pioneering category-first experiences at an unprecedented scale. As we continue to innovate and expand, our focus remains on shaping the future of streaming, driving accessibility, and unlocking infinite possibilities for a billion screens.”

Roger’s Take: 100 million subscribers is a huge milestone, but it also highlights why Disney was probably right to adjust its strategy for India. On their own, they seemed to be struggling to keep the momentum they inherited from their FOX purchase.  While Disney+ Hotstar gave Disney+ a massive boost in global subscriber numbers, the loss of the expensive cricket rights hit them hard and ironically, it was Reliance that secured the rights.  Bringing everything back together is working, and it’s going to be hard for any other streaming service to compete in the region.

Have you subscribed to JioHotstar? Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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