The Reliance-Disney three way partnership will not provide fully free streaming for IPL cricket matches and can undertake a hybrid mannequin the place subscription kicks in after content material consumption reaches a threshold, three sources advised Reuters on Thursday.
The entity will even launch a brand new rebranded streaming app, with plans beginning at Rs.149, mentioned the primary supply.
The choice to vary the phrases of streaming the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world’s richest cricket league, comes after Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance and Walt Disney mixed their India media property in an $8.5 billion (roughly Rs. 73,787 crore) merger final yr.
JioCinema has allowed free IPL streaming since securing the rights for the favored event for 5 years, starting in 2023 for $3 billion (roughly Rs. 26,042 crore).
Now, all streaming content material, together with IPL, will shift to a hybrid mannequin the place free viewing shall be provided for some time, after which customers might want to take subscriptions relying on their consumption patterns, mentioned two of the sources with direct data.
“As soon as a person develops affinity to the platform, begin watching free, turns into loyal … the subscription will kick in then,” mentioned the primary supply, including that every person’s subscription might begin at a special level of time.
The sources declined to be named because the plans are confidential.
Reliance, which controls the three way partnership, didn’t reply to requests for remark.
The three way partnership entity’s streaming providing shall be obtainable on a brand new rebranded app, which can provide a fundamental plan beginning 149 rupees ($1.72) and an ad-free model for 499 rupees ($5.75) for 3 months, mentioned the primary supply.
The Reliance-Disney enterprise runs greater than 100 TV channels and streaming apps in India’s $28 billion (roughly Rs. media and leisure market, the place it additionally competes with Netflix and Amazon Prime, amongst others.
JioCinema had the rights to IPL cricket, a money-spinner and among the many most-streamed content material, in addition to to the Winter Olympics and Indian Tremendous League soccer. Disney’s Hotstar app had the rights to the Worldwide Cricket Council’s tournaments in India and English Premier League soccer.
Key selections on the entity are being taken by Vice Chairman Uday Shankar, a media business veteran who in his earlier roles was instrumental within the rise of Disney’s Hotstar streaming app.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
