Fans will need a minmum susbcrition plan of ₹149 from now on to watch IPL on the newly-launched JioStar. There will be no free streaming for full match.
There will be no complete free streaming of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on JioStar, the newly formed joint venture by the merger of Viacom18 and Star India. The new streaming platform was launched on Friday after JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar streaming platforms merged to become JioStar. While JioStar, with close to 3 lakh hours of entertainment, live sports coverage, and more than 50 crore users, aims to provide a better viewing experience, its new hybrid subscription model is set to take away privileges of cricket fans across India.
Chennai Super Kings’ MS Dhoni and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli during an IPL 2024 match. (ANI)
According to a Reuters report, fans will only be able to match a few minutes of an IPL match without a subscription. After the free minutes expire, they will be directed to a subscription page, with plans starting at 149 rupees.
JioCinema has allowed free IPL streaming since securing the rights for the popular tournament for five years, beginning in 2023 for $3 billion. But starting in 2025, fans will have to pay for the subscription based on their requirements to watch the entire match.
The decision to change the terms of streaming the IPL, the world’s richest cricket league, comes after Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance and Walt Disney combined their India media assets in an $8.5 billion merger last year.
“Once a user develops affinity to the platform, start watching free, becomes loyal … the subscription will kick in then,” a source told Retuers, adding that each user’s subscription could start at a different point of time.
The sources declined to be named as the plans are confidential.
Reliance, which controls the joint venture, did not respond to requests for comment, added the report.
What are subscription plans in in JioStar?
The joint venture entity’s streaming offering will be available on a new rebranded app, which will offer a basic plan starting 149 rupees ($1.72) and an ad-free version for 499 rupees ($5.75) for three months, said the first source.
JioHotstar is the home of premier tournaments like ICC events, IPL, and WPL. It also covers grassroots cricket with the Indian Street Premier League and pathway events from BCCI, ICC, and state associations. Beyond cricket, it brings global sporting excellence with the Premier League and Wimbledon while powering domestic leagues like Pro Kabaddi and ISL.
“What sets JioHotstar apart is its elevated streaming experience — featuring ultra-HD 4K streaming, AI-powered insights, real-time stats overlays, multi-angle viewing and range of ‘culture’ and ‘special interest’ feeds — ensuring fans enjoy deeper, more immersive access to the sports they love,” the company in an official release.
The Reliance-Disney venture runs more than 100 TV channels and streaming apps in India’s $28-billion media and entertainment market, where it also competes with Netflix and Amazon Prime, among others.
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