jiostar network

Reliance Industries is making artificial intelligence central to its media and entertainment strategy. The company aims to drive growth across streaming, television, and digital content. AI will redefine entertainment and audience engagement. Reliance is integrating AI into core operations for efficiency and to reshape content creation. This move is set to build deeper fan engagement and open new monetization opportunities.

Football fans in India can rejoice as Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has secured broadcast rights for the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups, along with the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup and other FIFA events until 2034.

Zee Entertainment is making a significant comeback into sports broadcasting, planning to launch seven new channels under the 'Unite8 Sports' brand. This strategic move coincides with the ongoing negotiations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast rights in India, a major event where pricing disagreements have stalled a deal.

Harry Maguire believes Manchester United is on the right track under Michael Carrick, highlighting improved results and Champions League qualification hopes. He reflected on last season's struggles, emphasising the team's adaptation and renewed belief. Maguire also expressed excitement about extending his contract and the club's future.

With less than two months to go for the FIFA World Cup, India, China, and several Asian countries still lack an official broadcaster. High rights costs, inconvenient match timings, and cricket's dominance have deterred buyers in India. This poses challenges for FIFA’s outreach in the region, though a last-minute deal remains possible.

For JioStar, the newly minted behemoth, the ambition is clear: reach a billion viewers across platforms in 2025. “IPL always had the immense potential to go from where it was to unseen heights,” Sanjog Gupta, JioStar Sports CEO, told K Shriniwas Rao, Head of Content (Sports), Times Internet. The scale is staggering — 170 experts, 25+ feeds, 12 languages. But behind the slick packaging is a larger story: of a media empire staking its claim on India's cultural centrepiece.

JioStar reportedly seeks to exit its $3 billion ICC cricket media rights deal due to financial losses, leaving the governing body scrambling. The ICC is now seeking $2.4 billion for new rights, approaching Sony, Netflix, and Amazon, but interest is reportedly low amid a challenging sports media landscape.

JioStar broke TV viewership records as the India vs Pakistan match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 drew 20.6 crore TV viewers. The match, branded as the 'Greatest Rivalry,' garnered 2609 crore minutes of TV viewing time. An unexpected highlight was MS Dhoni and actor Sunny Deol watching together. India's final against New Zealand is on March 9.

JioStar's IPL 2025 opening weekend saw record-breaking viewership with 4,956 crore minutes watched across JioHotstar and Star Sports Network. Digital viewership on JioHotstar increased by 40% due to a surge in connected TV consumption, while linear TV registered a 22% increase in watch-time compared to last year.

JioStar is planning to partner with telecom giants Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea to bundle IPL streaming subscriptions with their data plans for reaching over 1 billion viewers. This initiative aims to boost viewership and data consumption, crucial for JioStar's revenue targets, especially with IPL content behind a paywall.

The AIFF has reissued a broadcast tender for the ISL 2025–26 season after its earlier RFP failed to attract bidders. With its deal with FSDL expired, reduced production budgets, uncertain fixtures and limited bargaining power, the federation faces a tough challenge in securing a viable broadcast partner, raising concerns over revenues, broadcast quality and club finances.

The Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) Season 2 has garnered over 15 million viewers with a 32% increase in TV reach for live matches. Amitabh Bachchan's Majhi Mumbai secured a playoff spot alongside three other top teams in Thane. jiostar network is credited for the successful broadcast partnership, enhancing the league's prominence.

The series serves as testament to how an epic as timeless as the Mahabharata, can be reimagined for a new era of viewers using artificial intelligence that helps breathe life into ancient legends with breathtaking scale and emotional depth, allowing for an unparalleled immersive viewing experience.

Bold, Culturally Rooted, and Scalable Storytelling for a Young, Diverse India

The Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 drew record-breaking viewership on JioStar, with a 74% increase from the last edition. The series, second most watched away test on Indian TV, captivated 192.5M viewers with its dramatic matches and expert insights. Sanjog Gupta and Nick Hockley praised the production quality and global appeal of Test cricket.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has achieved record-breaking global viewership, with 368 billion viewing minutes. The final between India and New Zealand became the most-watched Champions Trophy match ever. India's inclusive broadcast strategy, featuring multilingual coverage and digital optimization, drove record engagement in its largest viewership market.

The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, held in Pakistan and the UAE, achieved record-breaking global viewership, marking a 19% increase from 2017. India's victory over New Zealand in the final became the most-watched Champions Trophy match ever.

JioHotstar's subscriber base has surged to over 280 million, fueled by the immense popularity of the Indian Premier League (IPL). This growth brings it close to Netflix's global subscriber count. The transition to a paid model for IPL matches on JioHotstar has significantly driven this increase, with the platform aiming to retain viewers by offering a vast content library post-IPL.

A star-studded line-up of cricket legends from seven countries will provide expert commentary and analysis for the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025. JioStar will broadcast the event in multiple languages, including English, Hindi, and several regional languages, with coverage by numerous renowned cricketers.

The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup match is confirmed, averting significant financial losses. Back-channel talks between the ICC, PCB, and BCB secured the fixture's continuation. This clash is a commercial powerhouse, generating millions in advertising and impacting broadcast rights negotiations, making its potential cancellation a major concern for all stakeholders.

South Africa will play Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup 2026 on March 1 in Delhi. South Africa has already qualified for the semi-finals. Zimbabwe is out of contention. This match is an opportunity for both teams. South Africa has a strong historical record against Zimbabwe. The match will be broadcast on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar.

Jio announced that with a SIM and a plan of Rs. 299 or above, customers can live stream the IPL starting March 22. The merger of Viacom18 and Star India into JioStar brought JioHotstar, combining JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. Jio also offers a 90-day free JioHotstar subscription and JioFiber/AirFiber trial connection for IPL 2025.

Australia faces Oman in their final T20 World Cup group game, aiming to salvage pride after a difficult tournament. Despite a winless streak, Oman seeks to challenge a struggling Australian side. The match at Pallekele, with potential for high scores, will be broadcast on Star Sports Network and streamed on JioStar.

JioHotstar has secured exclusive digital streaming rights for India's highly anticipated five-Test series against England, commencing on June 20. This agreement, part of a sublicensing deal with Sony Entertainment Network, ensures live digital access for fans. Sony retains television broadcast rights, while the partnership extends to the 2026 white-ball tour of England.

Diwali week ignites cricket excitement with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's return to India's ODI squad. New white-ball captain Shubman Gill receives praise from Aaron Finch, who believes it's the right time for his leadership. Both Rohit and Virat will play under a new captain for the first time since 2016.

India faces a must-win second ODI against Australia in Adelaide after a seven-wicket loss in the rain-affected series opener. The team's batting faltered against Australia's pace attack, setting a low target that the hosts comfortably chased. With the series on the line, India needs a strong performance to level the contest.

TRAI has urged broadcasters to comply with the 12-minute-per-hour advertising cap, despite the rule being under judicial review. The regulator insists the regulation remains applicable, even as the Delhi High Court has restrained coercive action. Broadcasters are concerned about the enforcement due to existing financial pressures and declining revenues.

The 2025 IPL season will kick off on March 22 with an extravagant opening ceremony at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The event will feature performances by Bollywood actress Disha Patani, singer Shreya Ghoshal, and Punjabi artist Karan Aujla, followed by the first match between KKR and RCB. Following the ceremony, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the tournament's opening match.