JioHotstar enters MENA through Starzplay partnership

JioHotstar has entered the Middle East and North Africa through a partnership with Starzplay, making its Indian programming available to regional viewers through a dedicated section in Starzplay’s streaming service. The companies announced the expansion on October 6, describing it as JioHotstar’s latest international move after earlier launches in the United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore. Under the arrangement, JioHotstar originals will be offered alongside their release in India, with films, television programs and reality shows also included. The programming is available in audio tracks across as many as 10 languages, according to the companies. Titles span Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Bangla, among other Indian languages. The offering includes a substantial Malayalam catalogue, which the companies said reflects the region’s Malayali audience. JioHotstar content is accessed within the Starzplay app, rather than through a separate JioHotstar subscription, according to launch coverage. Reports list a monthly price of AED 34.99 for Starzplay Plus and AED 49.99 for a higher-priced option that adds Starzplay sports.