Reliance’s JioHotstar takes its streaming empire global — without sports

JioHotstar will replace Hotstar in the UK, Canada, and Singapore starting September 2, marking the Reliance-controlled streamer’s first international rollout under the new brand. The service will launch with over 160,000 hours of entertainment content but without live sports such as IPL cricket due to existing rights deals.

The rollout tests whether JioHotstar can win overseas Indian diaspora audiences without the sports rights that helped make it massive in India. Its entertainment-first launch suggests Reliance is prioritizing brand consolidation and scalable content libraries while leaving room to add sports rights later as deals allow.