JioHotstar inches closer to Netflix’s global subscriber numbers with 300 Mn users

JioHotstar has reported a significant surge in its subscriber base, reaching 300 million users, narrowing the gap with global streaming platform Netflix, whose subscriber count stood at 301.63 million at the end of 2024. The growth in users was largely fuelled by the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which marked a series of digital milestones.

The IPL 2025 edition proved to be a key driver of both viewership and monetisation for JioStar, the merged entity formed earlier this year by the consolidation of Reliance-led JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. The league witnessed higher digital viewership than television for the first time, with 652 million digital viewers surpassing the 537 million on TV. The final match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings on 3 June attracted 237 million viewers on digital platforms and 189 million on television.

According to reports by the company, the overall reach of the IPL across digital and television touched 1.19 billion, with average daily reach figures of 170 million on digital and 121 million on TV. On the digital front, JioHotstar registered 1.04 billion Android downloads. Viewership on mobile reached 417 million, while 235 million tuned in via connected TVs. The peak concurrency, or the maximum number of concurrent viewers, reached 55.2 million.

The tournament was also a major revenue generator. JioStar claims this edition of the IPL was the most monetised sporting event in Indian history across both advertising and subscription revenues. The platform hosted 425 advertisers from 40 distinct categories, with 270 of them being first-time IPL sponsors.

Language-specific viewership trends also highlighted regional growth. Telugu language viewership increased by 87 per cent from the previous year, followed by Kannada at 65 per cent, and Tamil at 52 per cent. Hindi viewership grew by 31 per cent, marking the slowest growth among the top five language feeds.

On television, 129 million viewers accessed the tournament via Star Sports HD, and 47 per cent of Star Sports’ total viewership comprised women. Total watch time on television was recorded at 514 billion minutes.

In terms of team-based engagement, Royal Challengers Bengaluru led in video viewership with over 330 million views, while Mumbai Indians edged out others in total TV watch time, crossing 106 billion minutes.

JioStar’s subscriber count had stood at just 50 million in February, and jumped to 280 million by May, coinciding with the start of the IPL season. The platform’s continued momentum now places it within striking distance of Netflix’s global user base, highlighting the growing influence of live sports and regional content in driving digital adoption in India.