JioHotstar App Officially Replaces Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema, Consolidating India’s Sports, Entertainment Platforms

JioStar, the joint venture between Reliance Jio and The Walt Disney Company, has announced the launch of its new app and streaming platform, JioHotstar which will be the new consolidated home for all entertainment and sports options previously available through the Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema apps. The combined platform will have over 50 crore subscribers in India. 

While the Hotstar app has already been updated with a new name and logo, JioCinema continues to be available and users are being redirected to the new app when tapping on any content. Existing subscribers will have their plans migrate automatically to the new app after their current payment period ends. Some free content such as sports matches is likely to still be available.

Subscriptions will begin at ₹149 per quarter. The new app currently shows existing Hotstar plan pricing, beginning at ₹499 per year for the mobile-only plan which supports 720p playback with ads on only one phone or tablet. The Super plan costs ₹75 per month or ₹899 per year, and gives users 1080p video with ads on up to two devices. There’s also a Premium plan with ad-free 4K Dolby Vision plan with no ads except in live sports and events, for ₹125 per month or ₹1,499 per year. 

With the two media powerhouses’ content catalogues combined, the new JioHotstar app will be home to all Disney, Warner Bros, NBCUniversal, Paramount, and Discovery HBO streaming video including the Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Pokemon, and National Geographic franchises. Sports content will include the IPL, WPL, ICC, English Premier League, Olympics, Fifa, MotoGP, Wimbledon, Pro Kabbadi, and NBA licenses. 

Movies and TV shows will be available across 19 languages. JioHotstar will also highlight content in multiple formats from Indian creators with its Sparks section, as well as grassroots sports content with franchises such as the Indian Street Premier League.

According to a company statement when the JV was announced, the new entity should be valued at Rs. 70,352 crore (approximately US$ 8.5 billion), excluding synergies. Ownership is split between Viacom18 (46.82 percent) and parent company Reliance Industries (16.34 percent), with Disney accounting for 36.84 percent.