The Jio Streaming Juggernaut [Part 2]
The Jio Streaming Juggernaut [Part 2]
Irresistible combo of affordable bandwidth and multiple OTT subscriptions
Hey Streamers 👋,
Welcome to the 19th edition of “Streaming in India”, your weekly news digest about streaming players, OTT trends and more in one of the fastest growing video markets. If you are not already a subscriber, please sign up and join 2,300+ others who receive it directly in their inbox every Wednesday.
Zee Entertainment shares bounced back after a previous drop, following clarification on merger cancellation reports with Sony Group. "We wish to reiterate that the company is committed to the merger with Sony and is continuing to work towards a successful closure of the proposed merger," Zee Entertainment said in an exchange filing last week. However, in further developments, Zee Entertainment Enterprises has missed a deadline to pay $200 million to Walt Disney Co.’s India unit for TV rights to cricket matches, Bloomberg reported today, citing people familiar with the matter. Action packed start to ‘24 for Indian M&E.
Today’s program:
Jio TV
Jio TV Premium
JioFiber
Jio TV+
And….Action!
Jio TV
On Part 2 of our Jio Streaming Juggernaut newsletter, we complete the picture of how Reliance Jio is disrupting Indian media & entertainment - the company is in a unique position as unlike other media giants, it also controls the data and bandwidth pipes for millions of Indians, thereby offering unique “bundled” entertainment options to it’s mobile and / or home broadband subscribers - redefining the classic statement: “one hand to shake”.
JioTV: Your Gateway to Premium Entertainment. Jio TV is primarily a streaming television service owned by Jio Platforms, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries and unlike JioCinema, Jio TV is only available to Jio telco subscribers, i.e you need to have a Jio prepaid or postpaid mobile number to login and access content on Jio TV.
Depending on your definition of FAST, one could also say that it is the largest FAST service in India at the moment - not many analysts track Jio TV as a FAST service, however with more than 1000 live channels across 15+ languages it is well poised to leverage the best practices of FAST including mid roll ad monetization using Server Side Ad Insertion, unique programming concepts, pop up channels and more.
Jio TV has an extensive electronic program guide for it’s LIVE channels as shown above with search features across categories of content as well as various Indian languages for all it’s channels - it is pretty much showcasing features and layouts similar to how one would define a FAST aggregator platform; just that they do not market themselves in that manner.
Jio TV Premium
The Premium Plans start at Rs 398 and are available as monthly, quarterly, and annual subscription plans. Consumers can enjoy up to 14 leading OTT subscriptions with national, international, and regional content. Besides, the platform has introduced the innovative ‘one-click call centre support’ for annual plan users.
Doubling down on the aggregation strategy, the main highlight of the JioTV premium plans is that they give access to an array of content and simplify the viewing experience. Users will get to enjoy JioCinema Premium, Disney+Hotstar, Zee5, SonyLiv, and Prime Video (mobile edition), Lionsgate Play and Discovery+. This will greatly decrease the need for multiple subscriptions and separate logins. SunNXT, Hoichoi, Chaupal, EpicOn, Planet Marathi, and Kancha Lannka are among the regional apps that are being offered.
MOBILE DATA & ENTERTAINMENT
The plans include a Rs 1198 package that has a validity of 84 days and Rs 4,498 for 365 days. The base plan at Rs 398 ($4.85) comes with 2GB data per day and access to 12 OTTs (28 day validity), while the Rs 1198 ($14.61) package offers 2GB/day and 14 OTTs (84 day validity); and the Rs 4498 ($54.85) package offers 2GB/Day, 14 OTTs (365 day validity), and priority customer care. Besides, there is a data add-on at Rs 148 that comes with 10GB of data for 28 days and 12 OTT platforms.
JioTV’s Premium Plans will likely transform the prepaid mobile data segment by offering an all-in-one entertainment solution. Competitive pricing, extensive content range, and user-friendly features position them as a compelling choice for consumers who seek a convenient digital entertainment package.
The convenience for the Indian subscriber is at the heart of these new plans - even though the mobile bandwidth costs in India are amongst the cheapest in the world, we are still sensitive to usage of data while watching online video. With that inherent understanding in mind, Jio has positioned the new plans along with a generous amount of mobile data packed with these new all in one OTT plans.
Jio Fiber
JioFiber (Go ahead and check out the video above to have a look at all the features) is India’s leading broadband to home service offering ultra-high-speed internet with speeds up to 1 Gbps along with access to Jio and other premium OTT apps. Apart from this, if the subscriber opts for a Jio Set-top Box, they can enjoy OTT and internet content, TV shows as well as TV calling on the big screen.
JioFiber has crossed 10 million subscribers in India as per the most recent reported numbers from last year, however this shows the massive upside that exists to wire millions of Indian homes with not only high speed internet, but also media, entertainment and sports streaming options all with a single subscription price per month.
Various JioFiber plans available on their web site with speeds starting from 30 Mbps to 1 Gbps, however almost every category has OTT apps bundled with the broadband prices. Plans start at Rs. 399 ($4.86) / month for unlimited home broadband data at 30 Mbps without any OTT apps OR Rs. 599 ($7.3) / month with 13 OTT app subscriptions.
Jio TV+
JioTV+ is a content aggregator platform, which comes pre-installed on Jio Set-top Box along with your JioFiber plan. On JioTV+, you can binge-watch your favourite content from over 14+ OTT platforms which include the likes of Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, and so on. Also, it doesn’t end here, you can catch your favourite live shows from over 600+ channels.
And we end with a video (little over 1 minute) of JioTV+, it’s Electronic Program Guide and related features. Is it a FAST giant in the making? Go ahead and share your thoughts on The Jio Streaming Juggernaut Series Parts 1 and 2 - clearly redefining streaming consumption for all Indians. Lots of learnings for all of us - OTT platforms today need to offer value beyond just content!
That’s all for today folks. If you enjoyed this breakdown, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues.
A delicious dark comedy on Netflix, Killer Soup stars the immensely talented duo, Konkana Sen Sharma and Manoj Bajpayee.
Swathi has been trying to open her own restaurant for a while now. She is an inept cook obsessed with serving paya soup to her husband Prabhakar ‘Prabhu’ Shetty. Yet, both of them are conning each other in vastly shocking ways, that complicates matters to a breaking point. From film maker Abhishek Chaubey of Kaminey, Omkara, Ishqiya fame comes a riveting original show which throws up twists, turns and secrets with some fine performances - must watch.
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