JioHotstar, the newly merged streaming platform from Walt Disney Co. DIS and Mukesh Ambani's Reliance, has added 230 million subscribers in just three months, bringing its total to 280 million, nearly matching Netflix Inc.'s NFLX 300 million global users.
What Happened: The platform's explosive growth was fueled by its exclusive digital and television rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world's richest cricket league, reported the Financial Times.
Before the merger, Reliance streamed matches for free. Now, cricket fans must subscribe to JioHotstar, with packages starting at just $0.60 per month.
According to Sanjog Gupta, CEO of Sports at JioStar, about 450 million people have watched IPL matches on both television and digital platforms since the season began in March, the report noted.
Gupta added that the IPL "pretty much delivered on all four vectors of growth," digital and TV advertising, and subscription revenue across both formats.
Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It's Important: The surge makes JioHotstar the largest streaming platform in India and a serious global contender. However, monetization remains a challenge, the report said.
Experts warn that while cricket delivers unmatched reach in India, converting that into long-term profit is difficult. A 2023 report by Jefferies said IPL's ad revenue didn't cover broadcasting costs, though it helps them create an "immense subscriber base."
Latest Startup Investment Opportunities:
Looking ahead to the 2027 rights renewal, analysts believe the Disney-Reliance alliance may dominate the bidding process, potentially bringing media rights pricing back to more sustainable levels.
Price Action: Disney shares dipped slightly by 0.20% in after-hours trading, reaching $109.50 at the time of writing. This followed a 1.20% drop during Friday's regular session, according to Benzinga Pro.
According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Disney holds a robust growth score of 92.49%, highlighting the company's strong market momentum. Click here to see how it stacks up against other stocks like Netflix.
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.
Read Next:
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com
Edge Rankings
Price Trend
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
