JioHotstar yanks pricing upwards for India’s streaming addicts

MUMBAI: JioHotstar has decided that India’s binge-watching habit needs a financial reality check. From 28 January, the streaming behemoth is jacking up prices across its Super and Premium tiers whilst simultaneously dangling monthly plans like carrots for those unwilling to commit long-term.

The damage? Premium’s annual subscription vaults from Rs 1,499 to Rs 2,199—a 47 per cent surge that might make even cricket fanatics reconsider their priorities. Super’s yearly plan climbs from Rs 899 to Rs 1,099, whilst quarterly rates get a similar nudge upwards. Mobile users clutching their handsets dodge the bullet on existing plans but gain a new Rs 79 monthly option for the budget-conscious.

JioHotstar’s justification? Indians have apparently abandoned squinting at phones in favour of proper television viewing. Large-screen consumption has skyrocketed, the company claims, prompting this “alignment” with how households actually watch content. Translation: if you’re streaming on the sofa rather than on the bus, you’ll pay more for the privilege.

Hollywood content, previously available across tiers, now sits firmly behind the Super and Premium paywalls for new subscribers. Mobile devotees must shell out extra for their Tinseltown fix through a paid add-on—because nothing says customer service like nickel-and-diming your loyal base.

Existing subscribers can dodge the increases by keeping auto-renewal switched on, a clever bit of customer retention disguised as generosity. JioStar SvoD business head and chief marketing officer Sushant Sreeram,  said the  price hikes reflect  “flexibility” and “premium storytelling.” 

With a billion downloads on Google Play and 450m monthly active users, JioHotstar clearly reckons it has India hooked. The platform’s betting that viewers are too invested in their streaming habits to jump ship. Whether that gamble pays off—or whether rival platforms start circling like sharks—remains to be seen. One thing’s certain: India’s streaming wars just got pricier.