Reliance's JioHotstar Takes Its Streaming Empire Global Without Sports, Targeting 4 Million Indian Diaspora

JioHotstar has launched its streaming service in the UK, Canada and Singapore, offering 160,000 hours of entertainment content without live sports as it targets the 4 million-strong Indian diaspora across the three markets.

JioHotstar, the streaming platform controlled by Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries and its joint venture with Disney, has taken its brand outside India for the first time. On September 2, it replaced Hotstar in the UK, Canada and Singapore, marking the beginning of a wider global push.

The Launch Strategy

The service launched with more than 160,000 hours of entertainment content, including films, television shows, originals, regional programming and reality franchises like Bigg Boss. However, it will not offer live sports in these markets at launch, as existing content deals prevent it from doing so though the company has not ruled out adding sports in the future. This absence marks a significant difference from JioHotstar's India offering, where sports including the Indian Premier League, Women's Premier League and Indian national cricket matches drive much of its massive 500 million monthly active user base.

Targeting the Indian Diaspora

The three-market launch is designed to tap into the growing South Asian diaspora. Data from India's Ministry of External Affairs suggests the service could have a target audience of more than 4 million people across the three countries, including 3.2 million in Canada, 1.3 million in the UK and 483,000 in Singapore.

"South Asian audiences have a deep connection with Indian entertainment across languages, generations and households. At the same time, audiences globally are increasingly seeking stories and cultures beyond their own. We see an opportunity to build for these broader, underserved global audiences not simply export an Indian streaming service to new markets," said Amit Malhotra, Head of International Business at JioStar.

Content and Pricing

The platform offers content in more than 12 languages, including Hindi, English, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi, with dubbing and translations also available. It includes live TV channels under the Star banner such as Star Plus, Colors, Star Vijay, Asianet, Star Jalsha and Star Pravah.

Pricing for the new service has been set as follows:

• UK: £19.99 quarterly, £69.99 annually
• Canada: C$19.99 quarterly, C$49.99 annually
• Singapore: S$29.98 quarterly, S$69.98 annually

Existing Hotstar subscribers in the three markets will be moved to equivalent JioHotstar plans without disruption, using their current login credentials.

Here is the question this expansion raises. JioHotstar is taking its streaming empire global, but without the sports properties that drive 500 million monthly active users in India. When a platform built on cricket and Indian Premier League viewership enters international markets with only entertainment content, can it replicate its success, or has it left its strongest card at home?

FAQ:

Q: Where has JioHotstar launched internationally?
A: JioHotstar has launched in the UK, Canada and Singapore as of September 2, 2026.

Q: Does JioHotstar offer sports in its international launch markets?
A: No, JioHotstar is launching without live sports in the UK, Canada and Singapore due to existing content deals. The company has not ruled out adding sports later.

Q: What content does JioHotstar offer internationally?
A: The platform offers more than 160,000 hours of entertainment content, including films, television shows, originals, regional programming, reality shows, kids' content and anime, across over 12 languages.

Q: Who is JioHotstar targeting with its international launch?
A: JioHotstar is targeting the South Asian diaspora, with more than 4 million people of Indian origin across the UK, Canada and Singapore.

Q: How much does JioHotstar cost in the UK, Canada and Singapore?
A: In the UK, quarterly plans are £19.99 and annual plans are £69.99. In Canada, plans are C$19.99 quarterly and C$49.99 annually. In Singapore, plans are S$29.98 quarterly and S$69.98 annually.