The partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery and Viacom18 is a major win for the two companies, as it gives HBO and other WB content a more widespread audience in India. The subsidiary of Reliance Industries has been able to gain a significant amount of market share from rivals includingDisney’s Hotstar, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, thanks in part to its affordable price point and focus on exclusives.
Max and HBO Original series will be available on JioCinema in March, just in time for an exciting new season. Shows like Game of Thrones and Westworld are highly anticipated and will be sure to capture viewers’ attention. viewers can watch these shows on the same day as the U.S., which is great news for JioCinema fans who want to catch all the latest television content.
The “exclusive” content deal is huge for JioCinema, as it has secured millions of new users in just a few weeks. This win comes after Viacom18 last year outbid Disney to secure the rights to stream the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament for five years. With this deal, JioCinema hopes to increase its viewership even more, and attract more advertisers.
Viacom18 is a joint venture between Ambani’s Reliance and Paramount Global and also counts James Murdoch’s Bodhi Tree as an investor. Bodhi Tree earlier this month slashed its planned investment into Viacom18 to $528 million, down 70% from the committed $1.78 billion. This news has caused some community worry as it implies that Viacom18 may not be as financially secure as previously thought. However, insiders believe that Bodhi Tree will increase its stake in Viacom18 in order to protect its interests and ensure long-term stability for the company.
The deal between Reliance and Viacom18 is a huge win for both companies. Reliance gets a significant stake in the struggling media giant, while Viacom18 gets some much-needed financial help. The two companies have already begun working together to improve Viacom18’s operations. This alliance will surely be beneficial to both parties in the long run.
The Thursday deal is a major blow to Disney’s Hotstar app, which won customers on the back of cricket popularity and premium content from HBO. The loss of subscription revenue will likely have a ripple effect on other businesses within the company, such as ESPN.
Whoever inherited JioCinema’s lucrative market position had better be prepared to fight for it. In recent months, the firm has poached aggressively from rival Hotstar, appointing former Disney executive Kevin Vaz as Viacom18 CEO. With aggressive moves like these, it’s clear that JioCinema is ready to take on the competition head-on – and make some serious money in the process.
JioCinema has a huge potential to be the go-to destination for entertainment in India. Its location, large collection of content, and excellent customer service make it an attractive option for movie enthusiasts. With its continued expansion, JioCinema may soon become the must-have channel for Indian fans of live sports.
Beginning with the launch of Warner Bros. Discovery in Spain in October 2017, Movistar content will be available on a number of connected devices, including Roku players and Apple TVs. As part of this strategic partnership, Movistar will become the exclusive platform operator for all Warner Bros. studio produced programming and original live-action TV series produced by Mexican production companies imported to Spain and other countries in Latin American Region. In addition to its extensive library of traditional filmed entertainment products and a growing lineup of original series created specifically for Spanish viewers such as “Matador” (Movistar Series) and “Laberinto de poder” (The Maze), Movistar is excited to offer its users access to all Warner Bros.-produced programs across multiple platforms – paving the way for even more immersion into Hollywood’s biggest franchises.
Given Amazon’s wide variety of on-demand video streaming services in India, it was widely expected that the company would tie-up with Warner Bros. for HBO content. However, discussions between the two companies are currently in advanced stages and it is uncertain whether or not a deal will be reached. If negotiations fail, Amazon could instead acquire MX Player, which is a popular video streaming service in India.
With the new content deal in place, JioCinema is slowly moving in the direction where it can start charging users for accessing at least some content. Although these fees will likely only be applied to premium shows and movies, it’s an important step forward for the company. It could also lead to a greater number of users subscribing to JioCinema since they will now be able to access more high-quality content without having to pay an extra subscription fee.
