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Source: MyKhel
According to reports, free streaming of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts next month, will no longer be available. Prior to the 2025 season, a new subscription model that requires payment for access to watch will be made popular for sports fans.
JioHotstar, the recently established joint venture created by the merging of Viacom18 and Star India, will not offer full free streaming of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Following the merger of the JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar streaming platforms to become JioStar, the new streaming service, JioHotstar, was introduced on Friday. With over 50 crore subscribers, about 3 lakh hours of entertainment, and live sports coverage, JioStar wants to improve the viewing experience, but its new hybrid subscription plan is about to deny cricket fans in India their privileges.
IPL 2025 on JioHotstar:
Reports state the new organization would use a hybrid mode. According to a source, “All streaming content, including IPL, will shift to a hybrid model where free viewing will be offered for a while, and then users will need to take subscriptions depending on their consumption patterns.” Subscription prices on the new JioHotstar platform will start at ₹149, while the ad-free premium version will cost ₹499 for a hefty three-month period. In addition, a renamed app is anticipated to be released shortly.
The streaming rights for "the Winter Olympics" and "the Indian Super League (ISL)" are also owned by JioCinema in addition to the IPL. In the meantime, JioHotstar has no authority over the "English Premier League (EPL)" or the "International Cricket Council's (ICC) tournaments" in India, which are still run by Disney+ Hotstar.
Viacom18 paid a startling ₹20,500 crore for the internet rights to the Indian Premier League, while Star India paid ₹23,575 crore for the television rights for the Indian subcontinent. Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance and Walt Disney merged their India media businesses in a $8.5 billion deal last year, which prompted the decision to alter the terms of broadcasting the IPL, the richest cricket competition in the world.
Watch this space for more cricket news.