Reliance JioHotstar Goes Global in UK, Canada and Singapore Without Sports
Reliance's JioHotstar replaces Hotstar in the UK, Canada and Singapore on September 2, with 160,000 entertainment hours but no live sports at its launch.
Summary
On September 2, 2026, JioHotstar, controlled by Reliance Industries, will replace Hotstar in the U.K., Canada and Singapore, its first expansion outside India and the start of a wider overseas rollout. The service launches with more than 160,000 entertainment hours but no IPL, WPL or Indian national cricket because of existing deals; JioStar may add sports later. That contrasts with India, where sports help draw more than 500 million monthly active users through cricket, the English Premier League, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, kabaddi and hockey. Hotstar apps will stop working, but credentials transfer to JioHotstar on the App Store, Google Play and connected TVs. The U.S., where standalone Hotstar closed in 2021, is excluded initially.
The catalog spans Indian films, originals, Bigg Boss and live Star Plus, Colors, Star Vijay, Asianet, Star Jalsha and Star Pravah channels in 12 languages, including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi, with dubbing and translation. Ministry of External Affairs data indicates a target exceeding 4 million people across the three markets, plus the wider South Asian diaspora; Amit Malhotra, JioStar’s head of international business, sees an underserved global audience. Quarterly and annual prices are £19.99, about $27, and £69.99, about $95, in the U.K.; CA$19.99, about $14, and CA$49.99, about $36, in Canada; and SG$29.98, about $24, and SG$69.98, about $55, in Singapore, near Hotstar pricing despite sports’ absence. Sports fans may need another paid service. India starts at ₹79, about $0.80, monthly and reaches ₹2,199, around $23, annually. Reliance’s 2024 Disney media merger formed an $8.5 billion JioStar venture and combined Hotstar with JioCinema; together they held 85% of India’s streaming audience.
Positives
- More than 160,000 hours of entertainment give JioHotstar a substantial catalog for its first expansion beyond India.
- More than 4 million people across the U.K., Canada and Singapore form an immediate potential audience, before the wider South Asian diaspora.
- Existing Hotstar credentials will transfer to JioHotstar across mobile devices and connected TVs.
- The $8.5 billion Reliance and Disney venture combines platforms that held 85% of India’s streaming audience in 2024.
Risks & concerns
- IPL, WPL and Indian national cricket are absent at launch because existing content agreements restrict JioHotstar’s overseas sports offering.
- Hotstar app access ends September 2 in all three launch markets, requiring customers to move to JioHotstar.
- U.K., Canadian and Singaporean prices remain near Hotstar levels even though JioHotstar initially offers entertainment without sports.
- The U.S. is excluded from the initial rollout after standalone Hotstar closed there in 2021.