JioHotstar Closes in on Netflix with 280 Million Subscribers

JioHotstar, the result of a merger between JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, was launched on February 14, 2025. The platform began with 50 million subscribers and crossed 200 million by April. As of now, the total paid subscriber count stands at 280 million.

IPL and Cricket-Driven Growth

A major reason for the spike in numbers was the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the ICC Champions Trophy held in February and March. The India-New Zealand final in the Champions Trophy saw 61 million concurrent viewers. This is reported as the highest for any sports event globally.

Content Library and Pricing

The platform has a total of 320,000 hours of content. This includes 250 original titles and programming from global studios like Disney, HBO, Warner Bros., NBCUniversal, Peacock, and Paramount. Despite the expanded offering, JioHotstar continues to charge ₹49 per month, retaining the older Hotstar pricing.

Subscriber Comparison

JioHotstar now ranks second globally among OTT platforms. Netflix leads with over 300 million subscribers. Prime Video has over 200 million global members, though this includes users with bundled access. According to news reports, in India, Netflix has an estimated 15 million subscribers, and Prime Video has about 25 million.

Read more: JioStar Adds 1.5 Mn TV Households in First 10 Days of IPL 2025

Additional Partnerships 

To widen reach, JioHotstar partnered with over 70 mobile device manufacturers and 40 connected TV brands. The platform recently announced exclusive streaming rights for India’s 2025 and 2026 tours of England, with Sony retaining television rights.

JioStar has announced exclusive digital rights to stream India’s tours of England in 2025 and 2026. The television rights remain with Sony Pictures Networks India.

The platform currently records around 503 million monthly users. In contrast, YouTube has the highest audience in India with over 491 million users. More than 100 million Indian YouTube channels were active in the past year.

Conclusion

JioHotstar’s subscriber growth since February places it just behind Netflix. The next phase will depend on its ability to retain users beyond seasonal cricket tournaments.

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