Know How Much JioHotstar Is Earning from IPL 2025, Ad Income of JioHotstar in IPL 2025 Surpassing all Expectations
Is Putting IPL Behind Paywall Impacting Jiohotstar’s Revenue?
JioHotstar, the new business formed by the merger of Reliance Industries and Disney Star’s media assets in the nation, looks to benefit because it has the telecast rights for these championships on television and streaming. Ahead of the IPL, the firm merged its two digital platforms, JioHotstar and Disney+Hotstar, to become JioHotstar, which allows for live sports streaming. It is also in the process of rebranding the Sports18 television channels on the network as Star Sports.
Sponsors and advertisers will flock to the IPL, despite ad rates increasing by approximately 25-30% over the previous year. According to Kumar Awanish, chief growth officer of ad agency Cheil India, a 10-second ad spot on IPL currently costs ₹8.5 lakh, up from ₹6.5 lakh last year. “This was expected as cricket media rights both for TV and digital are now with the same company,” Awanish told ESPN.
According to a JioHotstar executive, the argument was flimsy, and any tariff increase is adjusted for inflation. The IPL attracts around 600 million viewers to the platform via digital and television, “so what we offer is great value,” he added. “Also, two broadcasters that merged, paid billions of dollars for IPL rights and we are answerable to our shareholders and must recover some of the investment made in sports,” the executive claimed, refusing to be quoted.
This year, digital streaming ad prices on connected TV (CTV) are likely to be greater than those on broadcast TV. “CTV households have broadband at home and are early adopters of technology. Obviously, they are considered premium families, and thus more expensive,” Khemka explained.
However, he emphasized that cricket ad pricing must be unreasonable given the market circumstances. Cricket was fully sold out as start-ups spent money on promotion and new companies entered the market, according to Khemka. However, today’s ad market is lackluster, and FMCG businesses’ performance has been disappointing. “Even our GroupM analysis anticipates only a 7-8% increase in media spending this year. Given all of this, if you want companies to associate with cricket, you must make it profitable for advertising, which means premium pricing is no longer an option,” Khemka explained.
JioHotstar is focusing on subscription revenue in addition to advertising money. For the past two years, IPL has been free on the JioHotstar app for mobile subscribers. However, after merging JioHotstar and Disney+Hotstar, JioHotstar is putting IPL behind a paywall to capitalize on its massive reach.
A JioHotstar official stated that viewers are not required to purchase a membership right away because the app allows them to sample the material before hitting a paywall. “Users can experience and engage with premium entertainment on JioHotstar, including marquee live sports such as IPL and Champions Trophy, without the immediate need of a subscription” , a source claimed. Subscription rates starting at ₹149 per quarter are required for “uninterrupted and enhanced viewing experience” on mobile devices.
The true test for IPL and JioHotstar will most likely be free versus paid viewership. “It remains to be seen whether the paywall, even if subsidized, will have an impact on last year’s viewership numbers,” a sports marketing specialist said on condition of anonymity.
Regarding JioHotstar’s cricket monopoly, he stated that market factors will determine its future. “Currently, it is a broadcaster’s market. However, in the next 2-3 years, expect a correction in ad rates, which is unavoidable when the market overheats and IPL becomes unsustainable,” he stated.
