NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — The Reliance-Disney joint venture will change its strategy for streaming Indian Premier League (IPL) matches to a hybrid model, stopping its entirely free viewing policy, sources close to the situation informed Reuters on Tuesday.
The change comes after Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance and Walt Disney combined their Indian media assets in an $8.5 billion merger last year. Reliance controls the joint venture, which plans to launch a rebranded streaming app, according to sources cited by Reuters.
JioCinema, which acquired IPL streaming rights in 2023 for a deal worth $3 billion, once provided the most popular tournament free of charge. Under the hybrid model now, users will first be able to stream content free of charge before subscriptions are enforced after a given threshold, according to sources.
“After a user develops a fondness for the platform, begins watching free of cost, and turns into a loyalist, the subscription will kick in,” said a source to Reuters. The subscription will differ according to the consumption pattern of the user, with the base plan at 149 rupees ($1.72) and an ad-free option for 499 rupees ($5.75) for three months.
The venture runs over 100 television channels and streaming platforms in India’s $28-billion media and entertainment industry, vying with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime. JioCinema is the streaming rights holder for the IPL, Winter Olympics, and Indian Super League football, while Disney’s Hotstar app has International Cricket Council tournament and English Premier League soccer rights.
