JioHotstar expands to MENA via Starzplay partnership

JioHotstar announced on October 6, 2026 a partnership with Starzplay to expand into the Middle East and North Africa. Under the deal, the Indian streaming service will have a dedicated section inside Starzplay's app and on its website, according to TechCrunch.

The JioHotstar section will carry Indian films, TV shows, originals and reality franchises across multiple languages. The catalog includes shows such as "Bigg Boss" and "Koffee with Karan". New JioHotstar originals will premiere in MENA at the same time as their release in India, with audio in up to 10 languages.

Two pricing options were announced. A plan bundling JioHotstar with Starzplay's sports offering, including cricket, is priced at AED 49.99 per month, while JioHotstar is also available through Starzplay's Plus monthly plan at AED 34.99. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

JioHotstar said it is emphasizing Malayalam programming because of the large Malayali population in the region.

Background

JioHotstar was created after Reliance and Disney merged their Indian media businesses into an 8.5 billion USD joint venture in 2024. The service, which combined JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, launched in India in February 2025. It debuted in the U.K., Canada and Singapore in September 2025, replacing Hotstar as a stand-alone streaming service.

Before JioHotstar's launch, Hotstar was available in MENA. In 2024, Disney Star expanded its distribution deal with evision, e&'s media and entertainment arm, making it the regional home of Hotstar Specials. Evision is a major shareholder in Starzplay, which counts more than 2.3 million subscribers.