JioHotstar Inches Close to Netflix Global Subscribers
In the indian streaming market, JioHotstar has become a powerful player. It claimed to have an incredible 280 million subscribers by February, according to multiple news outlets. This figure is nearly equal to that of Netflix, which took years to develop its global audience. Although this quick expansion is undoubtedly remarkable, it raises an important question. Is the service being paid for by all 280 million users?
JioHotstar would have accomplished something remarkable if the response was in the affirmative. It would suggest that millions of people have chosen to invest in the platform in a surprisingly short amount of time, making it one of the paid streaming services with the quickest rate of growth in the world. However, the appeal of such numbers is significantly diminished if the vast majority of these customers are using the service for free, mostly as a result of the free sports streaming possibilities.
The success of JioHotstar may be largely ascribed to live cricket, especially the indian Premier League, which attracts enormous audiences each year. That millions are watching is therefore not surprising. But whether or not subscribers stick around when the cricket season is over will be the real test of the platform's tenacity. Whether spectators are taking advantage of the free matches or are paying for the platform's content is still up in the air.