JioHotstar, the streaming platform controlled by Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, is taking its brand outside India for the first time and will replace Hotstar in the U.K., Canada, and Singapore as it begins a wider global push.
The streaming service will launch with more than 160,000 hours of entertainment content but without the live sports that have helped drive its massive audience in India, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), Women’s Premier League (WPL), and Indian national cricket matches. JioStar said it is not offering sports at launch because of existing content deals but did not rule out adding them in the future.
The absence of sports at its global debut marks a significant difference from JioHotstar’s offering in India, where the company says it has more than 500 million monthly active users and sports is a major audience draw. The service streams some of India’s biggest cricket events alongside the English Premier League; tennis tournaments, including Wimbledon and the U.S. Open; and domestic leagues for sports such as kabaddi and hockey.
JioStar confirmed to TechCrunch that starting September 2, Hotstar will “cease to exist” in the U.K., Canada, and Singapore, with JioHotstar replacing it. Hotstar users in the three markets will no longer be able to access the service through the Hotstar app, though their existing login credentials will work on JioHotstar, the company said. The JioHotstar app will be available in all three markets through the App Store and Google Play Store on mobile devices, as well as on connected TVs.
