JioHotstar Launches Global Expansion But Strips Out Live Sports

Reliance Industries is expanding its streaming presence by replacing the legacy Hotstar app with JioHotstar across the UK, Canada, and Singapore starting September 2. The global version launches with over 160,000 hours of entertainment content but explicitly excludes the live sports broadcasting that drove its massive 500 million monthly active user base in India. Pricing remains similar to the outgoing app, costing £19.99 (about $27) quarterly in the UK and CA$19.99 (about $14) quarterly in Canada. Data suggests the rollout targets a diaspora audience of over 4 million people across the three launch countries, though users wanting cricket will now have to pay for a secondary service. "We see an opportunity to build for this broader, underserved global audience – not simply export an Indian streaming service to new markets." — Amit Malhotra