Reliance's JioHotstar Expands to MENA via Starzplay Partnership

JioHotstar, the streaming platform backed by India's Reliance Industries, announced Tuesday it is expanding into the Middle East and North Africa through a partnership with Starzplay, one of the region's largest streaming services. Under the deal, JioHotstar will have a dedicated section on Starzplay's app and website, offering Indian films, TV shows, originals and reality franchises in up to 10 languages, including Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Bangla. New JioHotstar originals will premiere in MENA simultaneously with their India release. A bundle including Starzplay's cricket offering is priced at AED 49.99 (about $13.60) per month; JioHotstar alone is available via Starzplay's Plus plan at AED 34.99 (around $9.50). The push follows JioHotstar's September debut in the U.K., Canada and Singapore, where it launched as a standalone service. Financial terms were not disclosed. Starzplay CEO Maaz Sheikh called the move a "strategic investment." JioHotstar, with over 500 million monthly active users, was formed after Reliance and Disney merged their Indian media businesses into an $8.5 billion joint venture in 2024.