JioHotstar surpasses 200m subscribers, ranks 3rd in streaming globally: Report

Popular streaming platform JioHotstar has crossed 200 million paid subscribers due to the multi-language live coverage of the Indian Premier League (IPL), according to reports.

Uday Shankar, Vice Chairman of JioStar—a joint venture between Reliance Industries Ltd and Walt Disney Co, which operates the JioHotstar platform, in a Bloomberg interview, said that this feat puts JioHotstar in the top streaming services globally.

Shankar described the milestone, reached primarily through its Indian user base, as “pretty satisfying.”

With this development, JioHotstar now ranks as the third-largest video streaming platform in the world, following Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, reports said. 

The three services are increasingly competing for a larger share of India’s rapidly expanding OTT market.

JioStar’s rise has been driven by competitively priced subscriptions and high-profile sports programming like the IPL.

 At the same time, other players are stepping up—Netflix is focusing on Indian original content, and Prime Video has broadened its offerings through partnerships with platforms such as Apple TV+ and Crunchyroll.

Shankar, who has played a central role in the recently announced Disney–Reliance media merger, shared the company’s broader vision of making the platform accessible to as many viewers in India as possible.

Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel subscribers will continue to enjoy free access to IPL 2025 streaming as part of their bundled telecom plans. For other viewers, access to the tournament will now require a paid subscription, marking a significant shift in the digital broadcasting model of the IPL.

While the paywall marks a change in access, bundling with telecom operators ensures that a large chunk of viewers can still enjoy the tournament without incurring additional costs.

Despite the paywall, digital viewership numbers are off to a strong start. The first three matches of IPL 2025 witnessed a 40% jump in viewership compared to last season, fueled by a remarkable 54% surge in connected TV (CTV) consumption. In 2024, the tournament raked in over USD 16 billion in revenue, and this year, JioHotstar is eyeing Rs 4,500 crore in ad revenue alone, having secured 32 sponsors.