JioHotstar, the Indian streaming platform that was formed post Reliance’s acquisition of Disney’s India assets, is set to debut in international markets. Considering the streaming platform’s heavy India-leaning content library, it is looking to tap into millions of Indian living overseas, particularly in the US, the UK & Canada, reports Bloomberg.
JioHotstar, the streaming platform which is at the centre of Reliance’s sprawling media ambition, is owned by JioStar — the $8Bn JV created between Reliance Industries ltd. and Walt Disney, back in February of last year. The platform has over 150,000 hours of content across English and 12 Indian languages. Most of HBO’s programming in India is now also offered exclusively across JioHotstar, including popular shows like Game of Thrones, among others.
The international debut has a specific objective — bank on the millions of Indians (as well as South Asians) settled abroad, who are still finding complicated ways to get to watch more India-specific content. Many access JioHotstar via VPN routes, which isn’t the smoothest of experiences, specially across devices such as smart televisions.
“South Asian audiences have a deep connection with Indian entertainment across languages, generations and households,” Amit Malhotra, head of international business at JioStar, said in a statement. “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.”