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Tag: JioHotstar

  • Swipe right on India’s next digital revolution

    Swipe right on India’s next digital revolution

    MUMBAI: Forget just astrology, bollywood and cricket, India’s digital appetite now runs from A to G. According to the Swipe Before Type report unveiled at Lumikai Insignia 2025, Indians are now paying for astrology, bollywood, cricket, dating, education, fandom, and gaming, reflecting a seismic shift from the old offline A-B-C of entertainment to a mobile-first, monetised mosaic.

    Launched by Lumikai, India’s first gaming and interactive media VC fund, the report unpacks how a generation raised on touchscreens is swiping, streaming, and spending its way into new digital frontiers. The insights, drawn from nearly 3,000 mobile users, reveal a nation that’s not just watching but participating.

    Women now make up 46 per cent of India’s interactive media audience, two-thirds hail from non-metro regions, and a whopping 80 per cent use UPI for payments. Half of them subscribe to multiple apps, and one in two downloads a new app every week, proof that India’s entertainment economy is no longer passive, it’s passionately participatory.

    Gaming, once a niche, now commands the biggest share of digital wallets, with players willing to pay for upgrades, skins, and ad-free experiences. Video streaming remains king, with 54 per cent of users paying for premium plans across Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar. Social platforms, meanwhile, are transforming into mini marketplaces where virtual gifting, in-app purchases, and even astrology consultations drive recurring revenue.

    New content trends are also taking hold. Microdramas and short-form storytelling are capturing bite-sized attention spans, while anime has gone mainstream, led by hits like One Piece and Naruto. AI adoption is accelerating too, metro users are 2.5 times more likely to integrate AI into their daily routines than their non-metro counterparts.

    “India has moved from paying for A-B-C offline to A-B-C-D-E-F-G online,” said Lumikai founder and managing partner Salone Sehgal. “Cultural shifts and tech habits are creating entirely new monetisation frontiers.”

    As Sehgal puts it, India isn’t just watching the digital future unfold, it’s swiping it into existence.
     

  • JioHotstar’s AI Mahabharat breaks records

    JioHotstar’s AI Mahabharat breaks records

    MUMBAI: JioHotstar has stormed into a new era of digital entertainment with the record-breaking debut of Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh, India’s first AI-powered entertainment series.

    The show racked up over 6.5 million video views on launch day, achieving a 2.1 times higher reach than the platform average, the biggest opening for a long-running series on JioHotstar to date.

    With AI woven into its creative process, the series reimagines storytelling at scale, proving that technology can enhance human imagination rather than replace it.

    The platform said the milestone marks a blueprint for the future of AI-driven entertainment, where machine intelligence meets artistic vision to create richer, more immersive narratives.

    JioHotstar’s success with Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh underscores its ambition to lead India’s entertainment evolution, blending innovation, tradition, and technology in equal measure.

  • T-Series appoints Richa Vaidya as deputy gm

    T-Series appoints Richa Vaidya as deputy gm

    MUMBAI: T-Series has appointed Richa Vaidya as deputy general manager, music marketing, strengthening its creative leadership with a proven entertainment strategist.

    Vaidya joins from JioHotstar, where she led award-winning campaigns for original web series, post-theatrical releases and non-fiction shows across television, digital and outdoor platforms.

    A seasoned marketer with more than a decade in the entertainment business, she has previously held key roles at Yash Raj Films, Everymedia Technologies, and Balaji Telefilms, shaping digital and theatrical campaigns for major Hindi cinema releases.

    At T-Series, Vaidya will oversee music marketing and brand strategy, driving engagement across platforms for one of India’s most powerful entertainment brands.

    Her appointment marks a strategic move by T-Series to blend data-driven insights with creative storytelling, reinforcing its position at the forefront of India’s music and entertainment ecosystem.

  • Women’s World Cup hits record viewership highs

    Women’s World Cup hits record viewership highs

    MUMBAI: Cricket fever has turned into a full-blown phenomenon as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025 smashes viewership records faster than a boundary off a power hitter’s bat.

    Over 60 million viewers have already tuned in to the first 13 matches across Jiohotstar and Star Sports Network, a staggering five times more than the previous edition. Watch-time has also soared 12-fold to a jaw-dropping 7 billion minutes, proving that women’s cricket isn’t just winning hearts, it’s ruling screens.

    The India vs Pakistan showdown on 5 October bowled the world over, becoming the most-watched women’s international cricket match in history with a reach of 28.4 million and 1.87 billion minutes watched. The India vs Australia clash wasn’t far behind, hitting a record 4.8 million peak concurrent viewers on Jiohotstar, the highest ever for women’s cricket.

    Television audiences have been equally captivated. The India–Pakistan league game has become the highest-rated in Women’s ODI World Cup history, while the first 11 matches together reached 72 million viewers, marking a 166 per cent leap from the last tournament. Viewing minutes jumped 327 per cent to 6.3 billion, underscoring the growing passion for the women’s game.

    “The incredible viewership for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025 is a true testament to the growing interest in women’s sports in India,” said Jiostar head of viewership and monetisation initiatives – sports Siddharth Sharma. “Fans are embracing women’s sports like never before, and at Jiostar, we’re proud to be the platform powering this movement.”

    Much of the success stems from a unified marketing push by the ICC and Jiostar, supported by the BCCI. The ICC’s global ‘Will to Win’ campaign and Jiostar’s emotionally charged ‘Jersey wahi toh jazbaa wahi’ have together sparked a national conversation and brought fans closer to the women in blue.

    The matches are being broadcast in five languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, across Jiohotstar and Star Sports channels, with an Indian sign language feed introduced for the first time to make the game more inclusive.

     

  • Bigg Boss Tamil 9 sets screens ablaze on Jiohotstar

    Bigg Boss Tamil 9 sets screens ablaze on Jiohotstar

    MUMBAI: Looks like the Bigg just got bigger! Bigg Boss Tamil Season 9 stormed onto Jiohotstar with a blockbuster opening, clocking an impressive 7.8 crore minutes of cumulative watch time on day one. That’s nearly 1.74 times the reach of its previous season, proof that Tamil Nadu’s favourite reality show still reigns supreme in living rooms across the state.

    Hosted by Vijay Sethupathi for the second consecutive year, the show’s new season has lit up the festive mood, turning October into appointment-viewing season. And this time, fans aren’t just watching, they’re part of the action.

    Jiohotstar has reimagined the Bigg Boss experience with interactive features like a 24 by 7 live chat feed and a buzzing fanzone where viewers can react to every drama-filled twist in real time. Adding a desi digital twist, Meme the Moment lets fans capture and share their favourite on-screen moments instantly, making sure every eyebrow raise and argument lives on beyond the episode.

    Interestingly, nearly 47 per cent of total opening-day viewing came via connected TVs, showing how Tamil audiences increasingly prefer gathering around the big screen for a shared family watch.

    Jiostar head of cluster, entertainment (South) Krishnan Kutty said, “The strong opening reflects how audiences are embracing interactive formats. We’re turning passive viewing into active participation, setting new standards for content and community engagement.”

    With title sponsor Healthy Grocer and brand powerhouses like Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki and Head & Shoulders joining the line-up, Bigg Boss Tamil 9 has kicked off not just a show but a full-blown celebration of entertainment, technology and fandom.

    After roaring success across Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada editions, the Tamil season’s fiery opening cements Jiohotstar’s position as the streaming stage where audiences don’t just watch, they live the drama.

  • AI writes the next scene in storytelling

    AI writes the next scene in storytelling

    MUMBAI: From scripts to circuits, storytelling just got smarter. At FICCI Frames 2025, the stage buzzed with ideas as tech titans from Jiohotstar, Meta, and Google explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way India watches, interacts, and connects with stories.

    In a session titled “The AI-Powered Media Revolution: From Personalisation to Interactive Storytelling,” the panel featured Jiohotstar chief product officer Bharath Ram, Meta India group director – finserv, media, travel and services Shweta Bajpai, and Google India head of industry for tech, media & telecom Siddharth Shekhar, moderated by NDTV Entertainment editor Abira Dhar

    Bharath Ram highlighted how Jiohotstar’s India-built AI is revolutionising both content and advertising. “The biggest advantage of developing AI solutions in India is the ability to iterate fast, learn fast, and build products rooted in local sensibilities,” he said, adding that Jiohotstar’s vast catalogue, from Special Ops to Bigg Boss, provides fertile ground for AI-driven insights.

    “Our AI helps us decode what truly captures viewers’ imagination and connects brands to audiences more meaningfully,” he explained, noting that smarter prediction models are already enabling advertisers to reach the right audience at the right moment.

    Taking storytelling beyond the screen, Bharath also spoke about the rise of fandom participation, where viewers don’t just watch content, they live it. “People want to be part of the story. The future lies in building interactive experiences that let fans express their passion,” he said, hinting at Jiohotstar’s plans to boost audience engagement across its entertainment properties.

    The discussion painted a vivid picture of a media landscape in motion, one where AI transforms viewers into collaborators, and platforms like Jiohotstar, Meta, and Google are scripting a new era of personalised, participatory entertainment.

    Because in the age of AI, the story doesn’t just unfold, it evolves with you.

  • Pitch to Get Rich: Where fashion meets big business

    Pitch to Get Rich: Where fashion meets big business

    MUMBAI: India’s fashion scene is getting a glamorous makeover. Jiohotstar is set to premiere Pitch to Get Rich on October 20, a reality series that fuses Hindi cinema’s sparkle with entrepreneurial grit. Produced by Dharmatic Entertainment and the Fashion Entrepreneur Fund, the show features a Rs 40 crore investment pool aimed at turning creative fashion ideas into thriving businesses.

    Fourteen aspiring founders will compete in a first-of-its-kind format, pitching their fashion ventures while navigating real-world business challenges. Celebrities and industry leaders, including Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra, and Malaika Arora, join forces with top business tycoons to mentor, judge, and invest in India’s fashion talent.

    Dharmatic Entertainment CEO Apoorva Mehta said, “Pitch to Get Rich is more than entertainment. It’s a stage for dreamers who want to build, innovate, and shine globally.” Founder of FEF Sanjay Nigam added, “The show champions ‘Make in India’ while inspiring the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs.”

    With homegrown talent in the spotlight, Pitch to Get Rich promises a thrilling mix of style, strategy, and star power, streaming exclusively on Jiohotstar.

  • Dish TV bets on Bigg Boss to flog its all-in-one smart television

    Dish TV bets on Bigg Boss to flog its all-in-one smart television

    MUMBAI: Dish TV is gambling that Indians will pay for convenience. The satellite broadcaster’s new VZY smart television—which bundles DTH and streaming services into one device—has signed on as sponsor of Bigg Boss in both Hindi and Kannada, hitching itself to two of the country’s most-watched reality franchises.

    The move, announced on October 1st, positions VZY as co-powered sponsor for Bigg Boss Hindi on Colors SD and HD, and co-presenting sponsor for Bigg Boss Kannada on Colors Kannada and JioHotstar. It is a calculated play: Bigg Boss commands fanatical viewership across demographics, making it prime real estate for a brand trying to crack both urban and regional markets.

    VZY’s pitch is straightforward. Rather than juggling a set-top box, streaming stick and multiple subscriptions, buyers get everything bundled into the television itself. The company also offers integrated set-top box models for those who prefer that route. It is, Dish TV claims, “India’s first truly integrated smart TV.”

    “Bigg Boss, both in Hindi and Kannada, is a show that unites audiences across regions and languages,” says Dish TV India chief revenue officer Sukhpreet Singh. The association, he argues, positions VZY as the television of choice for “entertainment-first consumers”.

    A JioStar spokesperson described Bigg Boss as “India’s most-watched and talked-about reality series” and welcomed VZY’s “smart TV proposition” as complementing the show’s immersive experience. The language suggests both parties see this as more than a typical sponsorship—it is a bet on convergence.

    Whether Indian consumers will embrace an all-in-one television remains uncertain. The market is crowded with smart TV brands, streaming devices and DTH providers, each vying for living-room dominance. Dish TV is wagering that eliminating complexity—and piggybacking on Bigg Boss’s massive audience—will give VZY an edge. The show’s millions of viewers will soon discover if the pitch holds up.

  • US Open smashes records in India with 877m watch minutes on JioStar

    US Open smashes records in India with 877m watch minutes on JioStar

    MUMBAI: When the ball hit the lines at Flushing Meadows this year, Indian audiences weren’t just watching, they were glued to their screens in record numbers. JioStar Network has revealed that the US Open 2025 clocked a staggering 877 million minutes of watch-time across Linear TV and Digital platforms, marking a watershed moment for tennis in India.

    This year’s edition opened with a twist: a novel mixed doubles format that instantly broadened the tournament’s appeal. On Linear TV alone, the event amassed 388 million minutes of total watch time, the highest ever for the US Open in the BARC era. The Hindi commentary experiment struck gold, drawing in viewers far beyond the sport’s traditional base. In fact, 18 million Indians tuned in, a 96 per cent jump year-on-year setting new records for reach.

    On JioHotstar, the digital stream lit up as fans followed Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz lifting the singles crowns. Together, online audiences clocked 489 million minutes of watch time, a figure that underlines both the pull of tennis and the power of accessible streaming.

    JioStar Sports head of audience engagement and monetization Siddharth Sharma said: “We have a strong belief in the fandom for tennis and the US Open in particular, and our proposition was built around that. The success we achieved across both our linear and digital platforms is a clear sign of the ever-growing passion for tennis in India.”

    The achievement cements JioStar’s positioning as India’s ultimate sporting destination, adding the US Open to a roster that already includes rights to ICC events, India’s men’s and women’s cricket teams, the TATA IPL and WPL, the Premier League, Wimbledon, and the Pro Kabaddi League. With such a calendar, JioStar has created a platform where global and domestic sporting milestones converge for Indian fans.

    The success of the US Open is more than a stat-sheet triumph. It signals tennis breaking through to a wider audience in India, a country where cricket usually reigns unchallenged. With 877 million minutes of passion, it’s clear the sport has found a new gear and JioStar, the perfect stage.

  • Madison Avenue moment as Havas closes in on Sam Balsara’s empire

    Madison Avenue moment as Havas closes in on Sam Balsara’s empire

    MUMBAI: The curtain is about to rise on one of Indian advertising’s most dramatic acts. After months of speculation, the Havas–Madison deal has now reached the signing stage, with top industry sources confirming that the Rs 700-crore acquisition for a 70 per cent stake is nearly sealed. For Sam Balsara, the man who has kept Madison fiercely independent for over three decades, this could be the turning point of a storied career.

    Industry insiders said that while it is “not right to discuss valuations at this stage,” both sides have agreed on the major terms. “The banker involved has finalised all formalities and the deal is on the verge of completion. Most likely, by early 2026 after regulatory approvals, it will be announced,” one veteran leader said.

    If the deal closes, it will peg Madison’s valuation close to Rs 1,000 crore, nearly double the Rs 500 crore price Balsara once discussed with WPP in 2015 though far short of the lofty numbers once floated.

    The move is no surprise given Havas’s acquisitive streak in India. Led globally by Yannick Bolloré, the network has snapped up five to six agencies in the past eight years and continues to see consolidation as its playbook for India. Bolloré had said earlier this year that cultural unification and strategic partnerships would remain core to Havas’s growth.

    Securing Madison, one of India’s last great independents, would not only give Havas scale but also cement its presence in a fiercely competitive market.

    For Madison, the timing is crucial. Over the past year, it has lost marquee clients including Godrej Consumer Products, McDonald’s, Atomberg, and Raymond, while Marico currently reviews its business. The losses have shaken confidence and intensified pressure on Balsara to secure a future-proof partner with technology, scale, and multinational backing.

    The agency has tried to respond. In August 2025, Madison brought back Ajit Varghese as partner and group CEO of Media and OOH with an equity stake marking his return after senior stints at JioHotstar and WPP. Earlier in the year, Vivek Das, ex-Google India and Southeast Asia executive, joined as chief marketing officer. Madison also completed its 100 per cent acquisition of Hiveminds, the performance marketing specialist it first invested in back in 2017.

    These moves underscored an effort to rebuild digital muscle and shore up bargaining power ahead of negotiations.

    For Balsara, long hailed as Indian advertising’s last independent mogul, the Havas deal may feel bittersweet. But it also signals realism: independence has limits in a world where scale, data, and global platforms dictate the pace.

    As one industry insider put it: “This is not just a deal, it’s an inevitability. Madison’s survival now depends on becoming part of something bigger.”

    If signed, the Havas–Madison marriage would go down as one of Indian advertising’s most significant consolidations marking the end of an era for independents and the dawn of a new one where even icons like Madison must reinvent themselves to stay in the game.

    Because in today’s ad world, survival isn’t about who shouts the loudest, it’s about who scales the fastest.