Type of business | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Type of site | |
Available in | |
Predecessor(s) | Voot |
Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
Area served | India |
Owner | Viacom18 |
Key people | |
Industry | |
Products | |
Services | |
URL | www |
Commercial | Yes |
Registration | Optional |
Launched | 4 May 2016 |
Current status | Active |
JioCinema is an Indian over-the-top media streaming service owned by Viacom18, a joint venture of Reliance Industries and Paramount Global. It offers free advertising- and subscription-based video on demand and live streaming content.
The service was initially launched on 4 May 2016 alongside the public launch of the Jio mobile carrier. In April 2022, the service was brought under Reliance's Viacom18 joint venture, backed by new funding from Uday Shankar and James Murdoch's Bodhi Tree Systems. JioCinema began to subsume Viacom18's existing streaming platform Voot later that year, beginning with sports programming in October, and Voot being officially discontinued in favour of JioCinema in August 2023.
JioCinema was launched on 5 September 2016 by Jio Platforms as part of a suite of apps and services exclusive to Jio mobile subscribers, with JioCinema app for Android and iOS. In December 2017, JioCinema added a web-based version for PCs. [1] [2] A JioCinema app was also released for Jio's KaiOS-based Jio Phone. [3]
In 2019, Intex, [4] TCL, [5] [6] and Xiaomi [7] [8] announced that they would include JioCinema apps with their smart TVs.
In April 2022, Viacom18—a joint venture between Paramount Global and Jio's parent company Reliance Industries—announced that Qatar-backed Bodhi Tree Systems (founded by former Disney Asia-Pacific president Uday Shankar and former 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch) would make a major investment in the company with a focus on bolstering its streaming businesses. As part of the deal, JioCinema would be brought under Viacom18. [9] In September 2022, the Competition Commission of India approved the transaction, which was completed in April 2023. [10] [11] [9]
In October 2022, ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it was announced that Viacom18 sports content would move from their existing streaming platform Voot to JioCinema, with all World Cup matches streaming for free. [12] [13] The platform was made available to all users, including non-Jio users. Its coverage faced criticism from viewers on social media for initially having technical issues such as buffering; JioCinema stated that it would work to address these issues. [14]
JioCinema launched a premium tier on 15 May 2023, anchored by a content agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery that saw rights to HBO and Max original productions move to JioCinema from its competitor, Disney+ Hotstar. [15] JioCinema also announced a similar library agreement with NBCUniversal, including Universal Pictures, Universal Television, and Peacock productions. [16]
Voot began to migrate its original productions to JioCinema in June 2023, including new seasons of Asur and Bigg Boss OTT. In August 2023, Voot was discontinued, with JioCinema assuming its content library, and existing Voot Select subscribers being migrated to JioCinema Premium. [17] [18]
In December 2018, JioCinema partnered with Disney India [21] [22] [23] to offer Disney content on the JioCinema app. Disney has withdrawn from this deal after the introduction of Disney+ Hotstar in India.
In December 2019, JioCinema partnered with Sun NXT to host over 4,000 films available on the Sun NXT platform [24] [25] [26] [27] across four Indian languages: Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. In May 2020, JioCinema partnered with Hoichoi to provide Hindi-dubbed Bengali content. [28]
In May 2022, Paramount Global announced that Paramount+ would launch in India through Viacom18 in 2023, however Paramount never launched its streaming platform in India and instead brought their content to JioCinema Premium.
In October 2022, ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it was announced that Viacom18 sports content would move from their existing streaming platform Voot to JioCinema, with all World Cup matches streaming for free. [12] [13] The platform was made available to all users, including non-Jio users.
Beginning in 2023, JioCinema will hold the digital rights to the Indian Premier League as part of a multi-year deal through 2027, with all matches streaming for free in 12 languages and telecasts available in 4K. [29] [30] [31] It also acquired the digital rights to the new Women's Premier League. [32] Content from sister streaming service Voot, including TV shows, movies, and limited series, was also being made available on JioCinema.
In April 2023, Jio Studios unveiled a slate of 100 new titles that would eventually be available on JioCinema. [33] The same month, Warner Bros. Discovery announced an agreement with JioCinema for it to carry HBO and Max original programming, as well as other Warner Bros. Television Studios content. The deal succeeds a previous agreement with Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video, respectively. [34] [35] HBO content would premiere day-and-date with their U.S. broadcast. [15] HBO and Warner Bros. content would launch in May 2023 as part of the new JioCinema Premium tier.
In May 2023, NBCUniversal announced a similar agreement, which will add a Peacock hub to JioCinema Premium featuring first-run and library content from Universal Television, Universal Pictures, Universal Content Productions, and Sky Studios, along with Peacock original programming. [16]
In June 2023, JioCinema acquired the streaming rights to India's 2023 tour of the West Indies and the United States. [36]
In September 2023, Viacom18 acquired the television and digital rights to India national cricket team matches from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a five-year deal valued at ₹5,963 crore (US$750 million), a 13% increase over its previous contract with Disney. [37]
In November 2023, Viacom18 secured a deal to bring Pokémon shows and movies to JioCinema. [38]
Title | Premiere date | Original language(s) | Genre(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Inside Story: A Season With Rajasthan Royals [39] [40] | 2020 | English | Television documentary |
Illegal - Justice, Out of Order | 12 May 2020 | Hindi English | Legal thriller |
Inspector Avinash | 18 May 2023 | Hindi | Crime drama |
Crackdown | 30 May 2023 | Spy thriller | |
Asur | 1 June 2023 | Crime thriller | |
UP65 | 8June 2023 | Comedy | |
Rafuchakkar | 15 June 2023 | Heist Comedy | |
Bigg Boss OTT 2 | 17 June 2023 | Reality television | |
Ishq Next Door | 3 July 2023 | Romantic comedy | |
The Magic of Shiri [41] | 13 July 2023 | Drama | |
Do Gubbare [42] | 20 July 2023 | Drama Comedy | |
Kaalkoot [43] | 27 July 2023 | Crime Drama | |
Taali [44] | 15 August 2023 | Biography | |
Lakhan Leela Bhargava ( LLB ) [45] | 21 August 2023 | Legal drama Comedy | |
Bajao [46] | 25 August 2023 | Musical Drama | |
Temptation Island India: Pyaar Ki Pariksha [47] | 3 November 2023 | Dating Reality | |
Good Old Days | 23 November 2023 | Telugu | Romantic Drama |
Jab Mile Tu | 22 January 2024 | Hindi | Romantic Drama |
Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond [48] | 25 April 2024 | Hindi | Action Drama |
Murder In Mahim [49] | 10 May 2024 | Hindi | Crime drama |
Dhawan Karenge with Shikhar Dhawan | 20 May 2024 | Hindi | Talk Show |
Awaiting release | |||
Bigg Boss OTT 3 | June 2024 | Hindi | Reality Television |
Title | Premiere date | Original language(s) | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
Mimi | 26 July 2021 [52] | Hindi | Comedy-drama |
Dasvi | 7 April 2022 [53] | Social-comedy | |
Kacchey Limbu | 19 May 2023 [54] | Sports drama | |
Boo | 27 May 2023 [55] | Telugu Tamil | Horror |
Mumbaikar | 2 June 2023 [56] | Hindi | Crime thriller |
Bloody Daddy | 9 June 2023 [57] | Hindi | Action-thriller |
Gulaam Chor | 11 June 2023 | Gujarati | Mystery thriller |
I Love You | 16 June 2023 [58] | Hindi | Romantic thriller |
Aseq | 23 June 2023 [59] | Horror thriller | |
Sergeant | 30 June 2023 [60] | Thriller | |
Blind | 7 July 2023 | Thriller | |
Unaad | 8 July 2023 | Marathi | Drama |
Ishq-e-Nadaan | 14 July 2023 | Hindi | Romantic Drama |
Trial Period | 21 July 2023 | Hindi | Comedy |
Bachubhai | 21 July 2023 | Gujarati | Comedy |
One Friday Night | 28 July 2023 | Hindi | Mystery thriller |
Awaiting release | |||
Dedh Bigha Zameen | 31 May 2024 | Hindi | Drama |
Blackout | 7 June 2024 | Hindi | Comedy |
Title | Premiere date | Original language(s) | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
The Comedian | 29 September 2023 [63] | Hindi | Comedy-drama |
Birha : The Journey Back Home | 30 September 2023 [64] | Punjabi | Drama |
Bebaak | 1 October 2023 [65] | Hindi | |
Rat in the Kitchen | 2 October 2023 | Neo-noir thriller | |
Mein Mehmood | 3 October 2023 | Drama | |
Gangster Ganga | 4 October 2023 | ||
Munna Ka Bachpan | 5 October 2023 | ||
Ghuspaith | 6 October 2023 | ||
The Daughter | 7 October 2023 | ||
Laar | 8 October 2023 | ||
Kofuku | 9 October 2023 | ||
Armaand | 10 October 2023 [66] | ||
Coming Out With The Help Of A Time Machine | 11 October 2023 | ||
The Last Envelope | 12 October 2023 | ||
Murakh: The Idiot | 13 October 2023 | ||
Maachis Ki Dibiya | 14 October 2023 | ||
Ring Mili Kya | 15 October 2023 | Comedy | |
Dammy | 16 October 2023 | Drama | |
Before We Die | 17 October 2023 | ||
Phone Call | 18 October 2023 |
Sports, Free and Premium content tabs are available as of November 2023.
Live streaming of Viacom18's news channels is available on JioCinema. Sports-related events with acquired rights are also livestreamed.
GEC's like Colors TV etc are also available for streaming on JioCinema Premium.
Device-specific apps also support offline downloading of VOD content titles.
As of July 2023, JioCinema is not available outside India.
As of August 2023, a subscription plan called 'JioCinema Premium' is required to access international content under the 'HBO' and 'Peacock' hubs. Some local content titles are available without subscription or registration and are accessible with ads.
As of April 2024, JioCinema has re-launched 'JioCinema Premium' subscrption, with pricing starting at Rs. 29 per month. [67] This service offers ad-free streaming, support for up to 4K video quality, and offline viewing capabilities. Additionally, a family plan available at Rs. 89 per month allows simultaneous access on four screens. [68] [69]
As per Statista's Q2 2020 report, JioCinema has a 7% market share among many competitors like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which have a 20% market share each; Disney+ Hotstar, which has a 17% market share; ZEE5 with a 9% market share; ALTBalaji and SonyLIV, which have a 4% market share each; and other streaming platforms, which have a 19% market share. [70]
The 2023 Indian Premier League final set a new record for concurrent viewership of a streaming broadcast; JioCinema reported that the match peaked at 32 million concurrent viewers (beating a record set during the 2019 Cricket World Cup by Hotstar) and was seen by over 120 million unique viewers. [71] [72]
Network18 Media & Investments Limited, commonly referred to as the Network18 Group and sometimes as the Network18–Eenadu Group, is an Indian media conglomerate owned by the energy giant Reliance Industries, headed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani. Rahul Joshi is the managing director, chief executive officer and group editor-in-chief of Network18, and Adil Zainulbhai is the chairman of its board of directors.
Viacom18 Media Private Limited is an Indian media company based in Mumbai, India. Founded in 2007 by the MTV Networks Europe division, it later became a joint venture between TV18 and Viacom in 2014, with TV18 becoming the majority shareholder in the company since April 2023, with Bodhi Tree Systems owning minority stake. The company owns and operates various channels, as well as content production studios in India.
TheWalt Disney Company India also known as Disney India is the Indian subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Over-the-top (OTT) media service is a media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms—the media through which companies have traditionally acted as controllers or distributors of such content. The term is most synonymous with subscription-based video on demand (SVoD) services that offer access to film and television content, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. This content may include shows and movies for which the OTT acquired rights from the content owner. Programming may also include original content produced by the service or specifically for it.
Disney Star, formerly known as Star India, is an Indian media conglomerate owned by Disney India, which is the Indian regional subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Disney Star runs more than 70 television channels in eight languages, reaching out to 9 out of 10 cable and satellite television homes in India. The network reaches approximately 790 million viewers a month across India and more than 100 countries. Disney Star generates more than 30,000 hours of content every year. Disney Star is the largest television and entertainment network in India.
Friday Filmworks is an Indian film production house founded by film director Neeraj Pandey and producer Shital Bhatia in 2008.
Disney+ Hotstar is an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Disney Star, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment business segment of The Walt Disney Company, featuring domestic Indian film, television and sports content for India itself and its worldwide diaspora. It also includes imported content from and serves Southeast Asia as well.
Voot was an Indian over-the-top media service (OTT) owned by Viacom18. First launched in March 2016, it offered content from Viacom18's local brands, as well as original series. It initially launched as an advertising-supported service, before introducing a subscription tier in 2020 under the Voot Select banner.
Jio TV is an Indian streaming television service owned by Jio Platforms, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. Jio TV offers about 1000 live channels with 7 days of catch up content, as per the website.
The acquisition of 21st Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company was announced on December 14, 2017, and was completed on March 20, 2019. Among other key assets, the acquisition included the 20th Century Fox film and television studios, U.S. cable channels such as FX, Fox Networks Group, a 73% stake in National Geographic Partners, Indian television broadcaster Star India, and a 30% stake in Hulu. Immediately after the acqusition, the holding company of the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Television Stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business, Fox Sports 1 and 2, Fox Deportes, and the Big Ten Network was renamed Fox Corporation. Other 21st Century Fox assets such as the Fox Sports Networks and Sky were divested and sold off to Sinclair and Comcast, respectively.
ZEE5 is an Indian subscription video on demand and over-the-top streaming service, run by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched in India on 14 February 2018 with content in 12 languages. The ZEE5 mobile app is available on Web, Android, iOS, Smart TVs, among other devices. ZEE5 claimed 56 million monthly active users in December 2019.
Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming media service owned and operated by Disney Streaming, the streaming division of Disney Entertainment, a major business segment of the Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television shows produced by Walt Disney Studios and Disney Television Studios, with dedicated content hubs for Disney's flagship brands; Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Hulu, and Star as well as showcasing original and exclusive films and television shows.
Star Sports Network is a group of Indian pay television sports channels owned by Disney Star, a subsidiary of Disney India, the channel currently holds rights of flagship tournaments like Indian Premier League, ICC Events, Premier League, ONE Championship, Wimbledon etc.
There are currently about 57 providers of over-the-top media services (OTT) in India, which distribute streaming media or video on demand over the Internet.
Peacock is an American over-the-top video streaming service owned and operated by Peacock TV LLC, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal Media Group. Named after the NBC logo, the service launched on July 15, 2020. The service primarily features series and film content from NBCUniversal studios and other third-party content providers, including television series, films, news, and sports programming. The service is available in a grandfathered free ad-supported version with limited content, while premium tiers include a larger content library and access to additional NBC Sports, Hallmark Channel, and WWE content.
Sun NXT is an Indian over-the-top streaming service run by Sun TV Network. It was launched in June 2017 and has content in six languages - Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali & Marathi. Sun NXT app is available for Android and iOS devices, Smart TVs and other devices.
Sports broadcasting contracts in India include:
Jyoti Deshpande is an Indian businesswoman and film producer who is currently the CEO of Viacom 18. She was formerly the Group CEO and Managing Director of Eros International. Jyoti is the Co-Chair of the Media & Entertainment Committee, FICCI.