 "JioCinema cuts premium subscription fees to Re 1 per day, IPL remains free")
Mukesh Ambani's ambition of market disruption is not slowing down any time soon, it appears. In another significant move, his digital streaming company, JioCinema has initiated a disruptive move in India's streaming market by offering Hollywood movies and TV shows for as little as one rupee per day. This shift includes slashing prices for premium content, with subscription plans starting at Rs 29 per month, as announced by Viacom18's streaming arm on April 25.
With this move, the premium JioCinema subscription has pitted itself against the likes of streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime, thus intensifying the competition.
As per Jio Cinema's statement, an ad-free subscription will start immediately at an introductory rate of Rs 29 per month for streaming on one device, while a 'Family' plan allowing streaming on four simultaneous devices will be available at Rs 89 per month.
Previously, the platform offered its premium service at Rs 99 monthly or Rs 999 annually for streaming on up to four devices simultaneously, albeit with advertisements.
Existing premium members of JioCinema will receive all the added benefits of the 'Family' plan at no extra cost, confirmed the statement.
According to Kiran Mani, CEO of Viacom18's digital division, the new plan encompasses online and offline viewing in 4 K quality of foreign movies, TV series, and kids' programming in five languages.
Effective immediately, the plans offer access to exclusive series, movies, Hollywood, kids, and TV entertainment on any device, including connected TVs, the company stated.
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Sports content, including the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and extensive entertainment content, will remain available for free as part of the platform's ad-supported offering.
Through partnerships with major studios like Peacock, HBO, Paramount, and Warner Bros Discovery, the platform currently provides premium members access to the latest global series and movie premieres from Hollywood.
Popular titles such as Game Of Thrones, House Of The Dragon, Oppenheimer, Barbie, and more will also be accessible in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Marathi.
Last year, Viacom18 Media and Warner Bros Discovery Inc. signed a multi-year agreement to stream the American firm's exclusive content in India, including hit series like Succession and The Last of Us.
Members will also enjoy early access to content from TV channel Colors, Nickelodeon, and the entire Colors suite of local language channels, with serials available even before they air on television. Additionally, more than 20 Viacom18 Network TV channels will be streamable.
The latest move by JioCinema comes on the back of recent agreements with Disney to merge India TV and streaming assets and content partnerships with major players like Warner Bros Discovery and NBCUniversal.