JioHotstar to Invest $444M in South Indian Content

India’s JioHotstar, the Reliance-Disney joint streaming platform, plans to invest $444 million over the next five years to acquire and produce content from South India, a company executive said on Monday. The move aims to tap into the rising popularity of regional cinema, even as the Hindi film industry faces challenges in regaining its audience in the country’s competitive entertainment market.

The platform, which has over 200 million subscribers, intends to more than double its user base by expanding regional and influencer-driven content. South India, home to Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries, sees viewers spending 70% more time on JioHotstar, whose cheapest subscription costs just 50 rupees (around 50 U.S. cents) per month. Investments will focus on both series and movies, particularly films that have already had theatrical releases, alongside non-scripted content.

Regarding Netflix’s recent acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery’s TV and film studios, JioHotstar’s chief marketing officer, Sushant Sreeram, confirmed that its partnership with Warner Bros will continue until the agreed end date. The company did not disclose a timeline for subscriber growth or additional investment milestones.