JioCinema to offer Hollywood content at Re 1 a day

JioCinema, the Indian streaming platform under the wing of Reliance Industries Ltd, is rolling out an offer where it is slashing prices to as low as Re 1 (approximately US 1.2 cents) per day for access to Hollywood movies and television series.

Meanwhile, it is keeping live broadcasts, such as cricket matches, completely free.

The initiative, spearheaded by Viacom18 Media Pvt, a Reliance-affiliated company, sees a price drop to just Rs 29 per month, marking a two-thirds reduction in its subscription.

The subscription not only provides online and offline streaming capabilities but also ensures high-quality viewing in 4K resolution across a variety of devices, reported BS.

The move comes against the backdrop of a partnership between Walt Disney Co. and Reliance, formed in February, with an aim to merge their media ventures in India. The collaboration aims to establish an $8.5 billion entertainment powerhouse in the world's most populous nation.

According to Kiran Mani, CEO of Viacom18's digital division, subscribers can enjoy a plethora of foreign movies, TV shows, and children's programmes in five different languages. Additionally, local content will be available for free, supported by advertisements.

Mani, who formerly ran Google’s Android operations in the Asia Pacific region, said, "We have the largest library of kids content in here. We have probably one of the best libraries of Hollywood content."

He added, "We find increasingly that people watch House of the Dragon, Oppenheimer and the like in their local language."

JioCinema is placing a big bet on the Indian Premier League cricket tournament by streaming this year's matches for free.

"IPL is going to be the catalyst for JioCinema," said Mani. "People accessed sports via 120 million screens in India three years ago. This year, India will cross 500 million screens."

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