JioHotstar May Launch Soon; JioStar Teases New OTT Venture

A new streaming platform, rumored to be called JioHotstar, may soon launch as part of the joint venture between Reliance and Disney Star. As per reports, JioStar’s social media page recently shared a cryptic message indicating there would be a combination of an OTT service that will bring JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar together. Moreover, several users claimed that JioCinema is canceling their subscription auto-pay mandates, further fueling speculation of the imminent launch of the new platform.

JioHotstar May Debut Soon; JioStar Hints at Viacom18-Star India OTT Venture

On Wednesday, JioStar, the joint venture of Viacom18 and Star India, reportedly shared a teaser video on X (formerly Twitter). Although the post was subsequently deleted, Smartprix salvaged some screenshots, one included two phrases, “A new era begins!” and “Stay tuned.” The caption “What happens when two worlds of entertainment merge in the universe?” No other details were made public.

Content from both platforms, Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema, seems set to appear on the service — a piece of the teaser gives the impression. While, as of now, the digital platforms have not been given any official name, multiple netizens are referring to it as “JioHotstar”. Some JioCinema customers have noticed that the service has been routinely canceling subscription autopay mandates, most likely in advance of the forthcoming migration. Some others said they could still purchase new monthly subscriptions, adding to some confusion over the switches.

Reliance Industries Limited completed its merger with Walt Disney’s Indian business in November 2024. The merger resulted in a joint venture between Viacom18, Reliance, and Disney, approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Mumbai, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), and other regulatory bodies. The joint venture has combined its media properties, bringing together its Star and Colors TV channels on the television side, while aligning JioCinema and Hotstar on the digital side. Now Nita Ambani, who chairs the venture, leads an operation that runs more than 100 TV channels and generates more than 30,000 hours of content a year.

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