Disney closes in on Netflix through notable partnership in India

JioHotstar, India's largest streaming platform, has grown explosively thanks to the world's most popular cricket competition. With over 280 million subscribers, the platform is nearing the global reach of Netflix.

The streaming platform emerged from the merger of telecom giant Reliance Jio and Disney India. This led to the creation of JioStar, which holds exclusive digital and TV rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket.

Cricket is India's most popular sport, attracting hundreds of millions of viewers daily. These rights proved crucial: since the tournament began on March 22, matches have been watched by over 450 million people, according to JioStar Sports CEO Sanjog Gupta.

Disney felt the impact of losing IPL rights to Jio Reliance in 2022, as its digital platform Hotstar saw subscribers drop from 61.3 million to 36 million by 2024.

While cricket fans previously watched for free via Reliance Jio, JioHotstar now requires a paid subscription. This strategy has paid off, with subscribers growing from 50 million in March 2024 to 280 million in May 2025.

JioHotstar aims to retain these viewers post-IPL with exclusive Hollywood content from Paramount, Pixar, and HBO.