Reliance Industries, the Indian business powerhouse, is taking JioHotstar international for the first time, setting out to supersede Hotstar in Singapore, Canada, and the UK as part of a broader overseas expansion strategy.
The platform will debut boasting a catalog exceeding 160,000 hours of entertainment programming, though it will omit the live athletic broadcasts—such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), Women’s Premier League (WPL), and national cricket fixtures—that have traditionally fueled its massive domestic popularity. JioStar explained that sports are being held back initially due to pre-existing distribution agreements, but left the door open for their potential inclusion down the line.
This absence of sports for the international rollout is a major departure from the domestic Indian version of JioHotstar, which commands a monthly active user base surpassing 500 million, largely driven by athletic events. Domestically, the platform broadcasts premier cricket showdowns alongside the English Premier League, major tennis championships like the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, and local leagues for field hockey and kabaddi.
JioStar confirmed to TechCrunch that effective September 2, Hotstar will officially “cease to exist” within the UK, Canada, and Singapore, making way for JioHotstar. While users in these regions will lose access through the legacy Hotstar application, their existing account credentials will remain valid on the new platform. The fresh JioHotstar application will become accessible across smart TVs and mobile devices via the Google Play Store and the App Store in all three territories.
Hotstar has a long history of international operations, including past presences in the UK and Canada, alongside a dedicated U.S. platform that was shuttered in 2021. However, the United States is omitted from this initial international wave, though the firm intends to gradually scale into additional foreign territories moving forward.
At launch, JioHotstar will deliver a vast library of reality series like Bigg Boss, original television shows, and cinematic releases from India, alongside linear TV networks operating under the Star brand, including Star Plus, Colors, Star Vijay, Asianet, Star Jalsha, and Star Pravah. The enterprise noted that its programming spans 12 different dialects—such as Hindi, English, Gujarati, Malayalam, Marathi, and Kannada—complete with subtitle and dubbing options.
In 2024, Reliance consolidated its media holdings with Disney to form an $8.5 billion joint venture. This corporate alignment led to Hotstar and JioCinema merge into jiohotstar for domestic audiences. At that juncture, the two services collectively captured 85% of the streaming audience in India.
Statistics compiled by India’s Ministry of External Affairs indicate that the primary target market across these three launch countries encompasses more than 4 million people. Moreover, segments of the catalog are expected to resonate with the broader 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.
Pricing for JioHotstar in the UK is set at £19.99 (roughly $27) per quarter or £69.99 (approximately $95) annually. Canadian subscribers will pay CA$19.99 (about $14) quarterly and CA$49.99 (around $36) for a full year, while Singapore rates are established at SG$29.98 and SG$69.98 respectively. While these subscription rates mirror previous Hotstar pricing, the initial rollout lacks sports coverage, meaning subscribers seeking live sports may need to invest in alternate platforms.
By contrast, 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.
