India’s OTT Battle Turns Into JioHotstar Or Nothing

‘One ring to rule them all, and in the darkness, bind them’ — the situation perhaps not as morbid as that line from The Lord of the Rings, but the launch of JioHotstar this week marks another pivotal moment for the Indian streaming industry, with Reliance now holding the keys to the kingdom.

Incidentally, the previous such moment also involved Hotstar as the streaming platform moved homes to Disney+ five years ago right in the middle of the Covid pandemic. Since then Disney+ Hotstar not only lost rights to key live sports properties but…