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Even as partner Disney cheered from the sidelines at the 48th annual general meeting of the Reliance Industries Ltd in Mumbai yesterday, the India-based global conglomerate said that its media venture, JioStar, not only is performing superbly, but the streaming service JioHotstar has emerged as the second largest OTT platform in the world.
Pointing out that the formation of JioStar, a joint venture amongst RIL, Bodhi Trees and The Walt Disney Co. (Paramount has exited totally), marked a defining moment for India’s media ecosystem, Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm, said, “With 300 million paying subscribers, JioHotstar is now the world’s second-largest streaming platform — achieved entirely in India. This record shows the immense potential of the Indian market.”
He added that the launch of the JioHotstar app (in February 2025) brought over 600 million users on board within three months, which included over 75 million connected TVs.
Akash, the eldest of the twin amongst Mukesh Ambani’s three kids, went on to detail that the revolution called JioStar — that had been created by strategically leveraging content, AI and technology to reshape how stories are told, delivered and experienced — presently offers over 3.2 lakh hours of content, which is six times more than the next two OTT platforms combined, and 30,000+ hours of programming are being added every year.
“Our advanced AI tools and technology innovations are empowering viewers like never before. As a result, our Media & Entertainment business delivered a record-breaking performance.
In addition, with a 34 percent TV market share, which is “equal to the next three networks combined”, Akash asserted the media business was well on its path to “serve a billion screens across mobile, TV, and connected devices”.
“JioStar will continue to expand across platforms and geographies. We have created an experience that combines the best of content, software and AI through JioHotstar. We always want to push the boundaries and give our customers a more elevated experience,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, moneycontrol.com, which is part of RIL’s media empire, quoted Disney CEO Bob Iger as saying on the occasion of the 48th Reliance AGM, “India is one of the most important and exciting markets for Disney globally. JioStar has quickly established itself as a global force in the entertainment industry with 300 million paid subscribers.”
In another related matter, Nita Ambani, Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, observed that cricket franchise Mumbai Indians has expanded to seven teams in four continents, winning a tournament in every single continent, adding to a total 13 trophies globally.
