JioStar May Pull Content From YouTube to Protect Subscription Model

JioStar is reportedly considering taking down its entertainment content from YouTube, as the company explores ways to reduce the shift of users from linear television to free digital platforms. The move, which may come into effect starting May 1, has not yet been finalized, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Strategy shift after streaming platform consolidation

Following the merger of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL)’s media assets in India with Viacom18 and The Walt Disney Company, JioStar was established to consolidate operations across traditional and digital media. In February, the company launched JioHotstar, a unified platform that brought together the content catalogs of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. Since then, the company has moved several of its major titles, including sports programming, behind a paywall, requiring users to subscribe to JioHotstar for access.

The potential exit from YouTube appears to be part of a broader strategy to reinforce the value of the paid streaming model by reducing free access to premium content. By narrowing down content availability on open platforms, JioStar is aiming to drive more users toward its subscription services.

IPL triggers new telecom partnerships

With the start of IPL 2025 approaching, JioStar is currently in talks with major telecom operators including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) to explore bundling their data plans with JioHotstar subscriptions. The move seeks to expand the reach of the platform by integrating it directly with mobile and broadband plans.

The company is targeting over 1 billion viewers across both television and digital platforms during the tournament. In the previous season, JioCinema reported a total watch time exceeding 35,000 crore minutes, with its audience size growing to 62 million users. As per RIL’s FY24 annual report, Disney+ Hotstar had 35.5 million paid subscribers as of June 2024, while JioCinema had grown to 16 million subscribers by September 2024, becoming one of the fastest-growing subscription OTT platforms.

Restructuring impacts workforce

Post-merger, JioStar has also initiated organizational restructuring efforts. In a move to eliminate role redundancies, the company began laying off employees last month. The process, which is expected to last through June, may impact around 1,100 employees.

Small businesses targeted for IPL ad campaigns

At the same time, JioHotstar has started outreach to startups and SMEs, offering IPL advertising packages ranging between $1,800 and $18,000. The initiative is aimed at bringing more small and medium businesses onto the platform during the high-traffic IPL season.

As JioStar continues to refine its digital strategy, the balance between accessibility and monetization remains at the core of its evolving content policy. Whether pulling content from YouTube will lead to a notable shift in subscriber growth or viewer behavior will likely become clearer in the months following the IPL.