Reliance's JioHotstar expands streaming empire abroad — minus the sports
JioHotstar, Reliance's Indian streaming platform, will replace Hotstar in the UK, Canada and Singapore from September 2, launching without the live sports that fuel its huge Indian audience. It's the first step in a broader international rollout.
JioHotstar, the streaming service controlled by Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, is expanding beyond India for the first time, replacing Hotstar in the UK, Canada, and Singapore. Starting September 2, Hotstar will cease to operate in these three markets, with existing users unable to access the app but able to log into JioHotstar using their current credentials. The new app will be available on mobile devices and connected TVs.
Unlike in India, where JioHotstar streams live sports such as the Indian Premier League, Women's Premier League, and other cricket and sporting events, the international launch will not include sports coverage. JioStar says this is due to existing content licensing deals, though it has not ruled out adding sports later.
A library built on entertainment
The global version will launch with more than 160,000 hours of entertainment content, including Indian films, original series, and reality shows like Bigg Boss, plus live television channels under the Star brand. Content will be offered in 12 languages, including English and Hindi, with dubbing and translation options.
In India, JioHotstar counts more than 500 million monthly active users, with sports serving as a key driver of that audience. In its new markets, the company is targeting both local South Asian communities and the broader diaspora — India's Ministry of External Affairs data suggests a potential audience of more than 4 million people across the UK, Canada, and Singapore.
Hotstar previously operated internationally, including a standalone U.S. service that shut down in 2021. JioHotstar is not launching in the U.S. as part of this initial expansion, though the company says further international markets will follow.
Subscription prices in the new markets are broadly similar to what Hotstar previously charged — starting around £19.99 quarterly in the UK, CA$19.99 in Canada, and SG$29.98 in Singapore. By comparison, plans in India start at roughly ₹79 a month. The launch follows Reliance's 2024 merger of its media assets with Disney into an $8.5 billion joint venture, which created the JioHotstar brand for the Indian market.
