Jio Hotstar used its recent press conference to underline just how dramatically the platform has grown in only ten months. What began as an ambitious relaunch has quickly turned into a scale story of its own. The platform now draws 400 million monthly viewers and has crossed 200 million subscribers, putting it among the biggest digital streaming services in the world.
Sushant Sreeram credited this momentum to deliberate decisions rather than chance. He spoke about the company’s steady investments in product, technology, and distribution, backed by a content library that spans live sports, blockbuster films, TV shows, documentaries, and kids’ programming. With viewers tuning in from every single pin code in India, he emphasized the team’s focus on staying relevant to audiences across languages, cultures, and formats.
One of the clearest shifts he pointed to is the rapid growth coming from the South. Connected TV adoption in the region has taken off far faster than expected, with 40–45% of Jio Hotstar’s viewing in the South now happening on smart TVs. The app is preloaded on almost all new televisions in the country, and over 85 million devices already use it actively.
Krishnan Kutty, who leads the South business, called the region a creative powerhouse that’s now shaping what the rest of India watches. He shared how titles like Heartbeat have crossed 100 million viewing hours in a single month, how Bigg Boss continues to be an unmatched magnet for audiences, and how films like Manjummel Boys, Loca, and Kerala Crime Files are earning fans far beyond their home states. Viewers in the South aren’t just watching more—they’re exploring more genres, spending 70% more time on the platform, and consuming 20% more titles than the national average.
To keep pace with this appetite, Jio Hotstar has already partnered with more than 500 creators and now commissions nearly three-fourths of all original content produced in the region. The company will invest ₹4,000 crore over the next five years to support this growth. As part of this push, it is also set to collaborate with the Government of Tamil Nadu to help strengthen the local creative ecosystem through labs, internships, and industry programs.
Jio Hotstar will soon announce a slate of 25 new titles across films and series, reinforcing its conviction that the next wave of Indian storytelling will rise from the South.
