Ahead of IPL, Jio Bundles JioHotstar Subscription With Its Recharge Plans

SUMMARY

Under the new scheme, existing users can recharge with a plan of INR 299 and above to access no-cost JioHotsar for the next 90 days

Meanwhile, new users will have to purchase a Jio SIM with a plan of INR 299 and above to avail the offer

This offer is valid between March 17 to March 31

Ahead of the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, telecom major Jio has launched recharge plans that will provide existing and new customers with a subscription of JioHotstar.

In a statement, Jio said that existing users can recharge with a plan of INR 299 and above to access no-cost JioHotsar on their TV or mobile for the next 90 days. Besides, the users will also get a 50-day free trial of Jio’s Wi-Fi service JioAirFibre.

Meanwhile, new users will have to purchase a Jio SIM with a plan of INR 299 and above to avail the offer. This offer is valid between March 17 to March 31.

“Customers who have recharged before 17th March, can opt for an INR 100 add-on pack,” the company added.

This comes at a time when JioStar, the media giant formed after the recent merger of the India media business of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Viacom18 and The Walt Disney, is going all out to increase the reach and advertising revenue of the upcoming season of the IPL.

Following the merger, JioStar combined the content libraries of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar to launch JioHotstar, the new OTT platform that will stream the upcoming cricket tournament.

JioStar is looking to reach more than 1 Bn viewers across television and digital platforms with the tournament. Earlier, a report said that JioStar was in discussions with Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea as well to bundle their data plans with JioHotstar’s subscription.

While JioCinema, which streamed the IPL last year, allowed users to access the cricket matches for free, JioHotstar is expected to discontinue complete free access. Instead, it will roll out a hybrid model, allowing users to stream matches for free up to a certain limit.

Meanwhile, the company is also tapping startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with different advertising plans to increase their reach during IPL 2025 and shore up its revenue.

While the media giant is going the extra mile to attract audiences as well as companies, the merger is anticipated to result in the exit of several employees. The OTT giant has kicked off a layoff exercise, which is expected to continue till June and affect nearly 1,100 employees. The move is aimed at eliminating overlapping job roles.