Jio HotStar Live
JioHotstar is India’s biggest live streaming platform. It brings together movies, TV shows, and live sports on one single app. Millions of Indians use this platform every day for entertainment and cricket. This platform has changed how people in India watch content online.
The History of JioHotstar
JioHotstar has roots in two separate streaming services. The first, Hotstar, launched in India in 2015 as a mobile-first app from Star India. It later became Disney+ Hotstar in 2020 after Disney bought Star India’s parent company. The second service, JioCinema, belonged to Reliance’s Viacom18. JioCinema grew fast because of cheap data plans and free live sports streaming.
In February 2023, Reliance Industries, Viacom18, and Disney announced a plan to merge their media businesses. This deal combined Viacom18 and Star India into one company. The merger closed in November 2024. It was valued at close to $8.5 billion. This new joint venture became known as JioStar.
Soon after the merger news broke, there was a race to secure the domain name “JioHotstar.com.” A private individual grabbed the domain first and asked Reliance to pay for his education in exchange for it. Reliance refused and took legal action instead. By December 2024, Reliance won the domain.
On 14 February 2025, JioStar officially launched JioHotstar. This new platform merged JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar into a single app. It offered close to 300,000 hours of content and claimed more than 500 million users at launch. Existing subscribers from both older platforms moved smoothly to the new service. JioHotstar quickly became the top streaming app in India, ahead of competitors like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix in terms of market share.
Programs and Content on JioHotstar
JioHotstar offers a huge library of content across many categories. Here is what viewers can find on the platform:
Bollywood and Regional Movies
The platform hosts a large collection of Hindi movies alongside films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, and other regional languages.
Hollywood Content
JioHotstar carries shows and movies from major global studios. This includes titles from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. It also streams content from NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO, and Paramount.
Hotstar Specials and Original Shows
The platform produces its own original web series and shows under the Hotstar Specials banner. These originals cover drama, thriller, and comedy genres made for Indian audiences.
Live Sports
Sports form a major part of JioHotstar’s content. The app streams live cricket, football, tennis, and other sporting events throughout the year.
Tadka: Short-Form Content
JioHotstar introduced a section called Tadka. This tab offers short micro shows and quick entertainment clips for viewers who want fast content on the go.
News and Kids Content
The platform also carries live news channels and a dedicated section for children’s shows and cartoons.
Broadcasting Rights Acquired by JioHotstar
JioHotstar holds some of the biggest sports broadcasting rights in India. These rights make it a top destination for sports fans across the country.
Indian Premier League (IPL)
JioHotstar owns the digital streaming rights for the Tata IPL. These rights run from 2023 through 2027. The platform offers special viewing features for IPL matches, including multiple camera angles and a champion’s feed.
ICC Cricket Events
The platform streams International Cricket Council tournaments live. It covered the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, which brought in huge viewership numbers, including a peak of over 61 million concurrent viewers during the India-New Zealand final.
Bilateral Cricket Series
JioHotstar streams bilateral cricket series hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia, and Cricket South Africa.
Women’s Premier League (WPL)
The platform also holds rights to stream the Women’s Premier League, giving women’s cricket a strong digital presence in India.
Domestic and Regional Cricket Leagues
JioHotstar has picked up rights for smaller domestic tournaments too. It signed a three-year deal to stream the JT20 League from Jharkhand, covering the 2026, 2027, and 2028 editions.
Football
The platform streams the English Premier League and the Indian Super League (ISL), giving football fans access to both international and domestic matches.
Tennis and Other Sports
JioHotstar also streams the Wimbledon tennis tournament, Pro Kabaddi League matches, and FIH hockey events.
International Leagues
Cricket fans can also catch overseas T20 leagues like the Big Bash League (BBL) and SA20 on the platform.
Verdict
JioHotstar has reshaped how Indians consume entertainment and sports. Its huge content library, wide language support, and strong sports lineup make it a one-stop platform for millions of households. The merger of two major streaming giants created a service with unmatched scale in the Indian market. Follow CricHD TV for more latest news and updates.