JioHotstar Expands into Middle East via Partnership with Starzplay
India's JioHotstar, backed by Reliance Industries and boasting over 500 million monthly active users, is expanding its presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through a partnership with regional streaming service Starzplay. The collaboration will feature a dedicated section within Starzplay’s app and website offering Indian films, TV shows, originals, and reality content across multiple languages. This marks JioHotstar's first major expansion into MENA after launching in the U.K., Canada, and Singapore earlier this year as a standalone service. The partnership aims to leverage the large South Asian diaspora population in the region for increased viewership of Indian programming. A bundled subscription plan combining JioHotstar with Starzplay’s sports content is priced at AED 49.99 ($13.60) per month, while a lower-tier option costs AED 34.99 ($9.50). New originals will debut simultaneously in India and MENA, available in up to ten languages including Malayalam, which has particular relevance due to the region's large Malayali population. JioHotstar was formed from Reliance’s $8.5 billion joint venture with Disney in 2024, combining JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. Starzplay is a major regional player with over 2.3 million subscribers and strong cricket content appeal.
Topics: expansion international_business joint_venture streaming