Reliance's JioHotstar launches globally without sports, replacing Hotstar in U.K., Canada, and Singapore
JioHotstar, formed from the 2024 merger of Reliance's JioCinema and Disney's Hotstar, debuts in three international markets starting September 2 with 160,000 hours of entertainment content but excludes live sports due to existing licensing deals.
What happened
JioHotstar, formed from the 2024 merger of Reliance's JioCinema and Disney's Hotstar, is expanding outside India for the first time, replacing Hotstar in the U.K., Canada, and Singapore starting September 2. The service launches with more than 160,000 hours of entertainment including Indian films, TV originals, reality shows like "Bigg Boss," and live TV channels, with content available in 12 languages. However, JioHotstar will not offer live sports at launch—notably excluding Indian Premier League, cricket matches, and English Premier League events that drive audience in India—because of existing content licensing agreements. The company did not rule out adding sports in the future. Existing Hotstar users in these markets will transition to JioHotstar using their current login credentials. Pricing is comparable to prior Hotstar rates: £69.99 annually in the U.K., CA$49.99 in Canada, and SG$69.98 in Singapore.
Context
JioHotstar's international launch represents Reliance's first major expansion of the merged streaming service beyond India, where it commands over 500 million monthly active users and accounts for 85% of the streaming market with JioCinema. The omission of sports—the primary audience draw in India—signals a strategic pivot for international markets, where the company aims to serve South Asian diaspora audiences and broader global viewers seeking Indian entertainment rather than replicate the Indian-focused sports offering. The target addressable market across the three launch countries exceeds 4 million people according to India's Ministry of External Affairs. By keeping pricing roughly equivalent to Hotstar's previous rates while removing sports content, JioHotstar may force sports-focused subscribers to purchase additional services or switch competitors, representing a different value proposition than its India offering. The company plans further international expansion but notably excluded the U.S., where Hotstar's standalone service shut down in 2021.