India’s largest streamer, JioHotstar, has moved into the Middle East and North Africa, teaming with Abu Dhabi-based Starzplay to reach a region the company considers key for South Asian viewers.
The MENA launch comes after earlier rollouts in the U.K., Canada and Singapore. JioHotstar will sit as its own dedicated hub inside the Starzplay app and website.
Viewers in the region will be able to watch new JioHotstar originals at the same time as they bow in India, with audio in as many as 10 languages. The package also takes in series from JioStar’s TV channels, big-screen hits and major reality formats, among them a new season of “Koffee With Karan” and the “Bigg Boss” season now on air in six languages.
Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Bangla-language titles are all part of the mix. The Malayalam catalog is especially deep, reflecting the weight of the region’s audience hailing from Kerala, where it is the dominant language.
“The strong early response to JioHotstar across the U.K., Canada and Singapore has reinforced our belief in the global opportunity for Indian entertainment,” said Amit Malhotra, head of international business at JioStar. “As we build JioHotstar into a truly global streaming platform, MENA is a crucial next market, with one of the world’s largest South Asian diaspora communities and a deep appetite for entertainment across languages. Our partnership with Starzplay allows us to enter the region with scale and bring audiences the breadth of JioHotstar, from new originals and daily television to blockbuster films and iconic reality franchises. This is an important step in taking Indian stories, talent and cultural moments to audiences around the world.”
Starzplay CEO Maaz Sheikh said that the region’s streamers will grow by pairing strong brands and giving viewers more for their money. “Audiences should not have to navigate an increasingly fragmented market to find the entertainment that matters to them. Bringing JioHotstar to Starzplay is a strategic investment in that future, combining the strength of India’s storytelling with our understanding of this region and the audiences we serve,” he said.
JioHotstar content is included in Starzplay’s Plus plan, which costs AED34.99 ($9.50) a month. The Max plan, at AED49.99 ($13.60) a month, pairs the full JioHotstar lineup with Starzplay’s sports rights, cricket among them. Starzplay positions itself as the region’s main destination for cricket.
Sheikh added that cricket had given Starzplay a durable connection with South Asian viewers in the region. “JioHotstar allows us to extend that relationship beyond the match and into the entertainment households return to every day. Our ambition is to make Starzplay the destination where every member of the family finds something they value,” he said.
To mark the launch, JioHotstar’s Big Bang visual was projected onto Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, with both brands sharing the display.
The Indian streamer has also been experimenting with AI-driven personalization, conversational search, interactive formats and in-app shopping. It says it is building its presence in each overseas territory through whichever model works best for local audiences.