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Tag: Jiostar

  • APOS 2025: JioStar reboots Indian storytelling: bold themes, small-town creators, and a Gen Z gold rush

    APOS 2025: JioStar reboots Indian storytelling: bold themes, small-town creators, and a Gen Z gold rush

    Bali: India’s entertainment juggernaut JioStar is rewriting the playbook for streaming success. Speaking  on Day one with MPA founder & executive director Vivek Couto at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) in Bali, president, general entertainment Alok Jain and head of cluster – entertainment (south) Krishnan Kutty laid out a turbocharged strategy rooted in youth, cultural authenticity, and fearless innovation.

    Kutty didn’t mince words. “Streamers haven’t done enough for Gen Z,” he said, announcing plans to ramp up youth programming in the south by seven to ten times. “Today’s boldness isn’t about spectacle — it’s about challenging societal norms. But we’re not in California. This has to be rooted in India.”

    Jain backed it up with numbers and narrative. Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar, a 19-episode romantic drama with 50-minute episodes and a debut director, shattered expectations. “The audience embraced it because it felt fresh, not because of familiar faces,” he said. “Innovation isn’t just a tactic — it’s our baseline.”

    The pair’s APOS session, titled Inside the next wave of Indian storytelling, was a no-holds-barred manifesto for resetting the country’s content economy. “We’re not here to gatekeep,” said Jain. “Today’s creators are format-agnostic — moving from Instagram Reels to primetime drama to long-form docu. We want to build a creative ecosystem where they grow across mediums.”

    Kutty spotlighted small-town storytellers as the engine of this shift. “We’re backing young creators from Tirunelveli to Kochi who bring lived-in authenticity. Eighty per cent of our Malayalam content consumption comes from outside Kerala. Great stories transcend language and geography — that’s our sweet spot.”

    The duo also called out industry dysfunction. “Streaming has broken the economic model,” Kutty said. 
    “Producers have become B2B vendors serving platforms, not audiences. Talent and production costs have soared. We need a reset.”

    On the theatrical front, Jain was blunt. “Three-hour films don’t cut it in an age of 15-second videos. People only show up at cinemas for something really worth their time. Theatres need to reinvent — on price, experience, everything.”

    India’s scale, youth and appetite for change were central to JioStar’s bullish outlook. With over 300M subscribers on JioHotstar and 800M viewers across its TV network, JioStar sits atop 320,000  hours of content in 22 languages. “The only common thread?” said Jain. “Emotional truth. That’s what travels.”

    From microdramas to macro themes like justice and aspiration, the message from JioStar is clear: in a country bursting with creators, languages, and formats, the only limit is imagination.

  • “We have invested more than $500 million dollars in sport over the past 15 years, and this is apart from rights acquisition costs” – Sanjog Gupta

    “We have invested more than $500 million dollars in sport over the past 15 years, and this is apart from rights acquisition costs” – Sanjog Gupta

    Sanjog Gupta, the man steering live experiences and the sports juggernaut at JioStar, finds himself squarely in the spotlight. Fresh off helming the eighteenth edition of the IPL — a relentless, high-octane ride that shattered records in viewership, fan engagement, and tech wizardry — Gupta is already plotting the next innings.
    In a crackling fireside chat with MPA’s Vivek Couto at APOS in Bali this morning, the sharp-suited sports boss laid out JioStar’s grand vision: why giving away the IPL for free wasn’t madness but method, how technology is rewriting the fan playbook, and why the network isn’t just broadcasting sport — it’s reinventing it.

    Here’s the man behind the masterstroke, unfiltered and in full flow.

    On IPL 2025’s impact on Indian sports
    India’s growing influence in sport is nothing but a reflection of India’s growing significance on the global stage, driven by a strong consumption-oriented economy. This IPL, not only have we reached a billion viewers across platforms, we have also managed to make this IPL the most monetised edition of the event and also the most monetised sporting event ever in India across advertising and subscription revenue.

     On what Star and JioStar have invested in sport
    Over the last decade and a half, Star and now JioStar has actually been the biggest private investor in Indian sport and in Indian media and entertainment. Largely with the mission to build what we believe can be a media and entertainment economy, but more than that, a media consumption economy, which is much larger in scale to anything that could have been imagined. While numbers around acquisition prices for sports rights tend to be thrown around a lot, what at times gets missed is the sheer investment that a network such as ours has made to grow those properties by way of marketing, by way of production, by way of investment in technology and that over the last decade and a half exceeds 500 million dollars. That is outside of what we paid for the acquisition of rights.
     
    On sport fuelling the wider JioStar network
    We believe sports serves as a recruitment funnel to bring in viewers and fans at scale, who then can be taken on a journey on a platform which could entail a live event, a Hindi entertainment show, or it could entail one of our new originals which is marketed on the back of a big sporting event and a recent example of that is the returning season of Criminal Justice which benefited significantly by launching in the last week of IPL.”

    On the freemium IPL strategy and changing viewer habits
    Our mission wasn’t to incrementally change the landscape, it was to completely shift the way consumers perceive paying for content and also over a period of time, attribute value to the entertainment needs they have. The subscribers are on the platform and not just on IPL and it started with an interesting hybrid subscription strategy, which allowed everyone to come onto the platform free. So it’s not pay at the gate, we’re not trying to keep people out and having them pay before they can consume. The model is based on real life example of how you shop, which is you go into a mall or a store, you sample enough and more of what you may want to look at and then choose to pay for deeper engagement, which in that case is purchase of an item.

    On whether cricket will remain the network’s sole focus
    We don’t want to be a single content or be known for a single content genre and that applies to sport as well. We have looked to grow English Premier League significantly over the last five years. In fact, over the last five years the viewership for English Premier League across our platforms has grown almost three and a half X (3.5x). Largely on the back of localisation efforts where we’ve taken Premier League deeper into the Indian sports ecosystem than ever before by producing it in languages meant for regions which have affinity for football. At the other end of the spectrum, you have a sport like kabaddi which is a sport that goes back thousands of years and is a part of India’s history but also it’s a part of India’s recreation where kids grow up playing it as a game. We’ve professionalized it and continue to invest in it to build it as India’s second most favorite sport. It already is the second biggest league in the country but but our objective with it is for the sport itself to grow and become a year-long proposition instead of being a two to three-month league.

    On building hyper-personalised sports journeys
    Our premise around sport is don’t look to serve many fans as one but look to serve almost each fan as many and what that means is every fan at different points of time and on different devices and in different modes of consumption will consume your content differently. So can you create infinite hyper-personalized journeys for each and every fan instead of serving one streaming experience to all and that’s the core tenet of the platform.”

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  • APOS 2025: MPA and JioStar release report on how IPL scored new records

    APOS 2025: MPA and JioStar release report on how IPL scored new records

    BALI: At the APOS summit in Bali, JioStar dropped its much-anticipated report titled TATA IPL 2025: A Year of Firsts—and it reads like a victory lap for both the broadcaster and the billion-plus fans who tuned in. Produced in partnership with Media Partners Asia (MPA), the report reveals how IPL 2025 turned into a fan-first, tech-powered juggernaut that smashed records, redefined storytelling, and blurred the lines between sport, spectacle, and screen.

    JioStar’s digital reach alone crossed 652 million, while Star Sports pulled in 537 million viewers, pushing total reach to a record-shattering 1.19 billion. Women accounted for 47 per cent of TV audiences—marking a seismic shift in cricket’s traditional demographic. The IPL final alone drew 426 million fans, with JioHotstar peaking at 55.2 million concurrent users and soaring to 300 million subscribers.

    “TATA IPL 2025 was a season where the lines between sport, storytelling, and shared experiences truly blurred. It wasn’t just about broadcasting matches – it was where creativity, culture and commerce converged, with fan connections at the heart of it all,” said JioStar chief executive of sports and live experiences Sanjog Gupta. “ At JioStar, we set out to make every screen feel personal, every interaction meaningful, and every moment unforgettable. From deep consumer journeys to a rich spectrum of viewing experiences, this was a celebration of fandom in all its forms. The real success of the IPL isn’t measured in numbers, but in the moments that moved millions.”

    JioStar delivered 840 billion minutes of cricket watch-time, riding on innovations like MaxView 3.0 (a TikTok-style vertical experience), 360° VR streaming, and voice-assisted search on connected TVs. Over 44 per cent of mobile viewers played along live with the ‘Jeeto Dhan Dhana Dhan’ game, while AI-powered highlights and live expert commentary translations made the sport more accessible than ever.

    Regional viewership surged with Telugu up 87 per cent, Tamil up 52 per cent, and Kannada up 65 per cent—showing that cricket’s heart beats strong beyond the metros. Accessibility also hit new highs with Indian Sign Language interpretation and audio descriptive commentary for the visually impaired.

    Advertisers swarmed the platform, with over 425 brands onboard—including 270 first-timers across 40 categories. Nielsen-measured ROI, play-along games, and AI-personalised ads helped deliver what marketers crave: measurable impact at scale.

    JioStar’s IPL 2025 wasn’t just a tournament—it was a case study in what the future of sports broadcasting could look like: immersive, inclusive, interactive, and insanely watchable.

  • JioStar hits it out of the park as Tata IPL 2025 smashes a billion-viewer milestone

    JioStar hits it out of the park as Tata IPL 2025 smashes a billion-viewer milestone

    MUMBAI: The 18th season of the Tata IPL was pure box-office cricket, and JioStar—the broadcast juggernaut of Star Sports and JioHotstar—made sure the world was watching. The tournament clocked a jaw-dropping 840 billion minutes of total watch-time and reached an eye-popping one billion viewers, making it the most-watched season in T20 history.

    Digital viewing surged 29 per cent year-on-year, with JioHotstar racking up 23.1 billion views and 384.6 billion minutes of watch-time, riding on a massive 49 per cent jump in Connected TV consumption. Meanwhile, Star Sports delivered 456 billion minutes of live broadcast content, pulling in the highest-ever average TV ratings across demos.

    The Tata IPL 2025 Final was nothing short of a cricketing supernova:

     . 31.7 billion minutes of combined watch-time

     . 169 million TV viewers

     .  892 million video views on digital

     .  55 million peak concurrency on JioHotstar

     .  A record-smashing 16.74 billion minutes on digital alone

    It was also the stuff of legends on the pitch. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted the trophy, Virat Kohli tasted long-overdue IPL glory, and 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi stunned the world as the youngest centurion in IPL history.

    JioStar CEO – Sports and Live Experiences, Sanjog Gupta said, “The incredible viewership numbers are reinforcement of our belief in the commitment to serve fans and the potential for growth of even a scaled property like the Tata IPL.”

    “We had a two-pronged approach this season.We wanted to widen the consideration for the tournament experience, by focusing on key viewer cohorts which had a light-touch relationship with IPL while also offering a deep, navigable consumer journey to grow engagement with committed fans. From non-viewers and fringe viewers co-viewing the IPL to deeply immersed fanatics, JioStar offered customized offerings for a wide spectrum of distinct cohorts defined by age, consumption profile and region. From the invite and proposition to the broadcast, we were committed to delivering hyper-personalized experiences that are inclusive, intuitive, interactive, and immersive. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the fans, whosepassion and love for the game inspires us. We would also thank BCCI and our partners, whose support is critical in our endeavor to constantly raise the bar on industry-defining experiences we offer on our platforms,” he added.

    Tech-wise, JioStar upped the ante with MaxView 2.0, voice search, 12-language content, Dolby Atmos, VR 360 Live, and Sign Language feeds—making cricket not just watchable, but immersive. The tournament’s “Yahaan Sab Possible Hai” theme rang true despite a mid-season suspension, with fans tuning in in record numbers from the get-go—49.56 billion minutes in just the opening weekend.

    With Shubman Gill and ‘Generation Bold’ now gearing up to face Ben Stokes and Bazball in England starting 20 June, JioStar’s cricketing blitz shows no signs of slowing down.

  • Colors Kannada gets a mythic makeover for its 10th birthday

    Colors Kannada gets a mythic makeover for its 10th birthday

    MUMBAI: Colors Kannada has turned ten – and it’s celebrating not with cake, but with culture. The channel has just rolled out a bold new visual identity that’s dripping with Karnataka’s rich heritage, from mythical birds to temple elephants and theatrical epics.

    Commenting on the rebranding, a JioStar spokesperson said, “Colors Kannada has always belonged to the people of Karnataka and our new identity is an ode to that bond. As we step into a new decade, this reimagining reflects our pride in where we come from and our promise to stay rooted even as we evolve. It honours our shared cultural legacy and embraces the creative energy of the present.”

    The revamp fuses tradition with a touch of 2025 swagger. Think vibrant colours, reimagined motifs, and on-air packaging that nods to the state’s soul while keeping things crisp and contemporary.

    At the heart of this identity refresh are three powerful cultural totems:

    ●    Gandabherunda, the legendary two-headed bird of the Mysore royal crest, stands tall for strength, vision, and legacy.

    ●    The Elephant, echoing the pomp of Dasara’s Jumbo Savari and the stone sentinels of Hoysala temples, brings wisdom and grandeur.

    ●    And Yakshagana, Karnataka’s own operatic powerhouse, injects the drama, rhythm, and colour of round-the-clock storytelling.

    This isn’t just surface shine. Every frame and flourish in the new design speaks to the pulse of Karnataka — its myths, memory, and modern pride. It’s a love letter to the viewers who’ve stayed glued to its serials, shows, and spectacles for a decade.

    For Colors Kannada, this isn’t just a rebrand — it’s a rebirth. One that doesn’t just look good on screen but feels right at home in the hearts of Kannadigas.

  • Criminal Justice scores a killer debut with record OTT opening

    Criminal Justice scores a killer debut with record OTT opening

    MUMBAI: It’s official, Criminal Justice: A Family Matter has taken the law into its own hands… and the top spot on India’s OTT charts. According to audience estimates for the week of May 26 to June 1, 2025, the gripping legal drama clocked an explosive 8.4 million viewers, making it the biggest OTT original opening of the year across pay and freemium platforms.

    The numbers don’t just hold court, they rule. This marks the best opening for any original on JioStar (previously Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema) since January 2023, making it a rare case of a sequel delivering more punch than its predecessors.

    Backed by a tight script, returning fan-favourite characters, and a family-centric twist on its signature justice narrative, the show has managed to strike the perfect balance between suspense and sentiment. And clearly, audiences across India are here for it.

    In a landscape brimming with crime thrillers and family dramas, Criminal Justice: A Family Matter has carved out its niche by fusing both genres with legal intrigue and numbers suggest the strategy is working. With 8.4 million Indians tuning in to at least one episode, it’s not just a courtroom drama; it’s a cultural phenomenon in the making.

    Gavel down, this verdict is unanimous: Criminal Justice is 2025’s hottest trial yet.

  • Stream snatchers busted in Rs 700 crore IPTV piracy crackdown

    Stream snatchers busted in Rs 700 crore IPTV piracy crackdown

    MUMBAI: The pirates of the stream just hit rough waters. In a bold strike against content theft, JioStar has spearheaded a sweeping crackdown on a sprawling digital piracy racket worth an estimated Rs 700 crore, targeting the illegal IPTV service BOS IPTV. Acting on a criminal complaint filed by JioStar, the Cyber Crime Police Station in Gandhinagar, Gujarat has initiated legal action that’s shaken the foundations of underground streaming operations.

    At the heart of the case is BOS IPTV’s illicit distribution of premium content, including from JioHotstar, Star India pay TV channels, and even banned Pakistani networks all bundled at the eye-popping price of Rs 400 for three months. The catch? Every frame was pirated.

    Investigators found the pirated streams were being pulled using hacked set-top boxes sourced from legitimate DTH providers, a chilling reminder of how piracy is now entangled with mainstream distribution systems.

    Following JioStar’s formal complaint, FIR No. 11201018250 was registered on 14 May 2025, invoking a string of charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Indian Copyright Act, and Information Technology Act.

    Law enforcement acted swiftly making an arrest in Jalandhar, Punjab, and seizing three laptops and two mobile phones used in operating the pirated service. But the plot appears thicker than a set-top box manual, with authorities suspecting international links and a wider piracy syndicate behind the scenes.

    “This crackdown is a critical milestone in our ongoing fight against piracy,” said a spokesperson at JioStar. “We commend the swift and impactful action by the Cyber Police in Gandhinagar and other agencies involved. At JioStar, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our content, partners, and the interests of millions of lawful subscribers. We will not hesitate to take the strongest possible legal action against anyone found engaging in such unlawful activities.”

    The operation signals JioStar’s zero-tolerance stance on content theft and sends a warning shot to illegal streamers everywhere: stealing signals might land you behind bars, not behind screens. With more raids expected, this takedown isn’t the end, it’s only the buffer before the next play.

  • JioStar backs BCCI’s IPL suspension, says national interest comes first

    JioStar backs BCCI’s IPL suspension, says national interest comes first

    MUMBAI: JioStar – the official broadcast and streaming partner of the Tata IPL 2025 – has thrown its weight behind the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to suspend the league indefinitely, declaring that national interest must take precedence over all else.

    In a statement issued to stakeholders and the media, the company expressed unwavering support for the government, the armed forces, and civilians impacted by the ongoing situation. JioStar has promised to collaborate with the BCCI to ensure the tournament resumes at an Tata IPL 2025 appropriate time.

    “We, at JioStar, wholeheartedly support the BCCI’s decision to suspend Tata IPL 2025 and stand firmly committed to prioritise national interest over all other considerations,” the company stated.

    JioStar further pledged to work closely with all stakeholders to guarantee a smooth transition, ensuring that everyone involved in the tournament’s broadcast and operations returns home safely.

  • IPL 2025 suspended indefinitely

    IPL 2025 suspended indefinitely

    MUMBAI: The news could not have come at a worse time for JioStar.  Just as the Indian Premier League 2025 – the IPL – world’s richest cricket league was beginning to gather momentum during the playoffs and attracting a slew of new advertisers, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) a short while ago announced that it was calling it off – indefinitely. This is courtesy the conflict between India and Pakistan which has escalated and attained war like proportions.

    The BCCI members had long consultations this morning before finally taking the decision to indefinitely suspend it. Most of the cricketers playing in the league had expressed their reservations about their safety in the midst of the Indo-Pak tensions.

    JioStar leased a statement regarding the goverment’s decision stating, We, at JioStar, whole heartedly support the BCCI’s decision to suspend TATA IPL 2025 and stand firmly committed to prioritize national interest over all other considerations. At this time, we must stand united with our country, support the government and our armed forces, and extend solidarity & support to the civilians affected. We will work with the BCCI to bring back the tournament at an appropriate time. JioStar will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the transition is managed in a seamless manner and everyone involved in the tournament broadcast returns home safely.

    It may be recalled that last evening’s match between between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala on was cancelled after 10.1 overs of play in the first half following air raid alerts in neighbouring Indian cities of Jammu and Pathankot.

    How this will impact and how BCCI will work with the official broadcaster JioStar and streaming partner JioHotstar will become clearer in the coming days. Right now the focus is on the developing conflict between the two nations.

  • Bagging the spotlight Zouk hits the IPL runway with Kriti Sanon

    Bagging the spotlight Zouk hits the IPL runway with Kriti Sanon

    MUMBAI: In a season packed with sixes and sponsorships, one fashion-forward brand has knocked it out of the park with a handbag. Zouk, the proudly Indian and 100 per cent vegan lifestyle label, has stormed the Indian Premier League 2025 ad roster with its new campaign ‘A Bagful of You’, fronted by actor Kriti Sanon.

    This isn’t just a brand break; it’s a cultural statement. Featuring on Connected TV via JioStar during prime-time matches, Zouk is one of the rare women-led disruptors to enter a space traditionally monopolised by FMCG giants, fintech players, and frothy beverage brands. But as the game evolves, so does its audience and Zouk’s play is as smart as it is stylish.

    According to YUMI’s 2024 data, women make up nearly half of IPL’s urban and rural audience, a stat that may surprise the armchair analyst but not the brand. Zouk is speaking directly to this influential cohort with a message that blends heritage, confidence, and conscious fashion.

    By showing up in the middle of India’s biggest cultural moment, Zouk isn’t just flaunting bags, it’s flaunting purpose. The brand’s vibrant campaign isn’t shy about taking up space, much like the women it celebrates. Every product in Zouk’s line reflects its mission: functional fashion rooted in Indian aesthetics, with zero compromise on ethics or style.

    Commenting on the landmark moment Zouk founder Disha Singh said, “This is more than just an ad placement, it’s a statement not just for Zouk, but for every homegrown, women-led brand with big dreams. To be on the IPL stage, a platform that unites India is a celebration of how far we’ve come and where we’re headed. We’re proud to lead this change, representing the fearless spirit of the modern Indian woman who is confident, expressive, and ready to be seen and heard. Our campaign with Kriti Sanon, ‘A Bagful of You,’ is rooted in self-expression and everyday pride, and IPL allows us to tell that story to millions of Indians in a moment they truly care about.”

    Echoing the sentiment Zouk co-founder Pradeep Krishnakumar added, “IPL has long been dominated by legacy, male-focused advertisers but the landscape is shifting. We saw a clear opportunity to break the mold and engage a new, diverse generation of consumers who value purpose and identity. Our presence in IPL 2025 isn’t just about visibility; it’s about making a bold cultural statement.”

    With the leather-free label now batting on the biggest field in Indian advertising, it’s clear: Zouk isn’t just in the game, it’s changing how the game is played.