JioHotstar, the streaming platform backed by JioStar, has expanded its international footprint with its entry into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), following its launches in the UK, Canada and Singapore. The platform has partnered with STARZPLAY to make its entertainment offering available to audiences across the region through a dedicated destination on the STARZPLAY app and website.

According to a press release, the partnership brings together JioHotstar’s multilingual entertainment catalogue with STARZPLAY’s regional reach and streaming expertise. Audiences across MENA will have access to JioHotstar Originals alongside their India releases, with select content available with audio tracks in up to 10 languages.

The offering will include popular television content from JioStar’s TV channels, blockbuster films and major reality franchises. It will also feature the upcoming season of ‘Koffee with Karan’ and the ongoing season of ‘Bigg Boss’ across six languages. The catalogue spans Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Bangla and other Indian languages, with a substantial Malayalam content library aimed at serving the region’s Malayali audience.

JioHotstar’s content will be available through STARZPLAY’s PLUS plan, priced at AED 34.99 per month. The MAX plan, priced at AED 49.99 per month, will combine the complete JioHotstar entertainment offering with STARZPLAY’s sports portfolio, bringing entertainment and live sporting content under a single subscription.

The MAX plan also builds on STARZPLAY’s positioning as a cricket destination in the MENA region, combining its sports offering with JioHotstar’s daily television content, Originals, reality franchises and films. The companies said the combined offering is aimed at creating a broader entertainment destination for South Asian households across the region.

Amit Malhotra, Head – International Business, JioStar, said the response to JioHotstar’s launches in the UK, Canada and Singapore had reinforced the company’s belief in the international opportunity for Indian entertainment. He described MENA as an important next market because of its large South Asian diaspora and demand for entertainment across multiple languages.

Malhotra added that the partnership with STARZPLAY would allow JioHotstar to enter the region with scale while taking its Originals, television programming, films and reality franchises to audiences beyond India.

Maaz Sheikh, CEO of STARZPLAY, said the next phase of streaming growth in MENA would involve bringing strong entertainment brands together and creating greater value for viewers. He said the partnership combines Indian storytelling with STARZPLAY’s understanding of the regional market and its audiences.

Sheikh also highlighted cricket’s role in building STARZPLAY’s relationship with South Asian audiences in the region, saying the addition of JioHotstar would allow the platform to extend that relationship beyond sports and into everyday entertainment.

The MENA launch was also marked by a visual celebration at Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. JioHotstar’s Big Bang was projected onto the world’s tallest building in a display of colour and light, with the spectacle bringing together the JioHotstar and STARZPLAY brands to mark the platform’s arrival in the region.

JioHotstar has also been exploring technology-led features including AI-powered personalisation, conversational content discovery, interactive entertainment and in-app commerce. With its presence now spanning the UK, Canada, Singapore and MENA, the platform is continuing to build its international business across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East through market-specific partnerships and offerings.

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