JioCinema will switch to a paid subscription model by the end of IPL
Written by Sanjay Kumar
Mukesh Ambani’s streaming service is set to expand by adding over 100 films and TV series to its platform, as it aims to compete with global giants like Walt Disney Co. and Netflix Inc. in the rapidly growing Indian market.
Jyoti Deshpande, president of the media and content business, said in an interview that with the expansion JioCinema will start charging for content, though the exact pricing strategy is still being finalised. She said that new titles will be introduced before the Indian Premier League cricket ends next month and till then viewers will be able to watch the matches for free.
Reliance Industries Limited
Multinational conglomerate company
- Owner: Mukesh Ambani
- Subsidiaries: Reliance Retail, Jio-bp, Jio Platforms, JioSaavn, MORE
- Founder: Dhirubhai Ambani
- President: Mukesh Ambani
- Founded: 1958, Maharashtra
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Number of employees: 342,982 (2022)
Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd. has aspirations to become a global media and online streaming behemoth. Last year, Viacom18 Media Pvt., a joint venture between Paramount Global and Reliance Industries Ltd., outbid Disney and Sony Group Corp. to clinch the digital rights to IPL. It is one of the fastest growing sporting events in the world, which is seen as an important way for any media company to gain attention in India.
India has a massive potential viewership, with 1.4 billion people and a growing middle class and expanding internet access. During the opening weekend of IPL in April, JioCinema drew more than 1.47 billion video views and had 22 million viewers for a match on Wednesday. However, this is a market that has been challenging for global streaming platform giants to crack. Netflix has cut its fees to lure price-conscious users, while Indian viewers can be selective in what they’ll watch online, given the robust local cinema-going culture. Deshpande said that both price and content are at the forefront of JioCinema’s expansion.
The plan is to “keep tariffs simple for viewers,” she said. Currently, the streaming space “is dominated by Westernized content. Jio Studios wants to become a catalyst for cross pollination of talent. We want to get as Indian as it can,” she said.
The company plans to roll out films and series in languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and Gujarati, across various genres from thrillers and romance to biopics. It will also release new and original movies produced by Jio Studios, such as Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki and Amitabh Bachchan’s Section 84. Jio Studios has recently announced a multi-year, multi-film collaboration with SVF Entertainment for the Bengali market.
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