JioHotstar, the Indian streaming platform owned by Reliance Industries, announced an exciting expansion of its collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery to introduce HBO Max to Indian viewers.
Starting at just ₹49 (approximately $0.50) per month, HBO Max will be available as an add-on for JioHotstar subscribers. This offering will showcase a diverse range of content, including popular HBO series, Max Originals, films from Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, and titles from DC Studios. This pricing is notably lower than the U.S. standalone Basic tier of HBO Max, which is set at $10.99 per month.
In a confirmation to TechCrunch, JioHotstar indicated that users' current subscription plans will influence their viewing experience, suggesting that more economical plans might incorporate advertisements. The service begins at ₹79 (around $0.85) monthly for mobile users with ads, while an ad-free premium experience is available for ₹299 (approximately $3.2) per month.
The Indian streaming landscape is witnessing remarkable growth, with total monthly active users (MAUs) soaring to about 1.45 billion, fueled by affordable mobile data and increasing smartphone penetration, according to a recent report by brokerage firm CLSA. YouTube leads the market with 772 million MAUs, with JioHotstar following closely behind at around 390 million MAUs.
Despite this growth, the adoption of streaming services remains relatively limited outside major urban centers, with usage rates hovering between 23% to 27% in Tier 2 cities and around 7% to 8% in Tier 3 locations, as reported by Third Bridge. Their insights reveal that many users prefer accessing streaming content through bundled services rather than individual subscriptions.
The HBO Max hub is set to enrich the Indian entertainment scene with a blend of new and existing titles, including the much-anticipated third season of Euphoria, the latest chapter of House of the Dragon, DC Studios' Lanterns, and an upcoming Harry Potter series, among others.