No more free IPL streaming in India, Reliance reveals new subscription plans

Reliance Jio, India's largest telecommunications provider by user base, announced on Monday that it will introduce charges for streaming Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches, marking the end of two years of complimentary access to one of the nation’s most-watched sporting events, as per a Reuters report.

Under the new subscription model, Jio’s mobile users will need to purchase a recharge plan starting at Rs 299 to access IPL matches via the newly merged JioHotstar streaming platform, a joint venture between Reliance and Disney, the company stated.

The IPL, a highly lucrative sporting event and one of the most widely streamed programmes in India, is scheduled to take place between 22 March and 25 May.

This decision follows a report by Reuters last month, which indicated that the Reliance-Disney joint venture would discontinue free IPL streaming, a model that had been in place on the JioCinema platform during 2023 and 2024.

Instead, the company will adopt a hybrid approach, requiring a subscription once users surpass a specified content consumption threshold.

Additionally, the new plan includes a 50-day trial of Reliance Jio’s broadband internet services, aimed at expanding its home internet market share by offering high-speed sports streaming.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s pricing strategy for IPL and other cricketing events is closely monitored, as media rights for such content have cost the merged entity — India’s largest entertainment conglomerate — approximately $10 billion in recent years.

The joint venture currently operates more than 100 television channels and streaming applications within India's $28-billion media and entertainment industry.

With agency inputs