JioHotstar is taking its streaming service global for the first time, replacing Hotstar in the UK, Canada and Singapore from September 2 — but without the live cricket and other sports that have driven its huge audience in India.
The platform, controlled by Reliance Industries’ media business JioStar, will offer more than 160,000 hours of Indian films, television programmes, originals and reality shows. It will also carry live channels from the Star network, including Star Plus, Colors, Star Vijay, Asianet, Star Jalsha and Star Pravah.
Existing Hotstar subscribers in the three countries will no longer be able to use the Hotstar app, although their login details will work on JioHotstar. The new app will be available through Apple and Google’s mobile app stores, as well as on connected televisions.
JioStar said sports were not included in the international launch because of existing content agreements. It did not rule out adding sports in future, meaning viewers wanting cricket or other live events may need to subscribe to a separate service.
JioHotstar launches without Indian Premier League coverage
The decision marks a sharp contrast with JioHotstar’s Indian operation, which the company says has more than 500 million monthly active users. Its sports offering includes the Indian Premier League, the Women’s Premier League and matches involving India’s national cricket teams.
JioHotstar in India also carries the English Premier League, Wimbledon, the US Open and domestic competitions in sports including kabaddi and hockey. The absence of those rights could make the international service less attractive to some existing Hotstar customers, despite its broadly similar pricing.
In the UK, subscriptions will cost £19.99 for three months or £69.99 for a year. Canadian customers will pay CA$19.99 quarterly or CA$49.99 annually, while prices in Singapore are SG$29.98 and SG$69.98 respectively.
The service will include content in 12 languages, among them English, Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi. Programmes will also be available with dubbing and translated subtitles, while the line-up will include shows such as Bigg Boss.
JioStar’s head of international business, Amit Malhotra, said the company was targeting both South Asian communities abroad and a wider audience interested in Indian culture and storytelling.
“South Asian audiences have a deep connection with Indian entertainment across languages, generations, and households,” he said. “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.”
Hotstar has operated internationally for several years, including in the UK and Canada. Its standalone US service was closed in 2021, and the United States is not part of the first phase of JioHotstar’s expansion, although JioStar said it planned to enter further overseas markets.
The company estimates that the three initial markets could provide access to more than four million people, with the service also seeking to reach the wider South Asian diaspora.
JioHotstar was created in India after Reliance merged its streaming operation, JioCinema, with Disney’s Hotstar as part of an $8.5 billion media joint venture completed in 2024. At the time of the merger, the two platforms together accounted for about 85% of India’s streaming audience.
Prices in India remain substantially lower, starting at ₹79 a month for viewing on one mobile device and rising to ₹2,199 a year for the top-tier plan.
