Reliance’s digital streaming platform has just thrown down another gauntlet at its international rivals. After streaming the Indian Premier League and a number of award-winning entertainment offering, mostly for free, JioCinema has announced its new subscription offering, ‘JioCinema Premium’ at a price point that is expected to cause massive market disruption.
As per JioCinema’s statement, an ad-free subscription will start immediately at an introductory rate of Rs 29 per month for streaming on one device, while a ‘Family’ plan allowing streaming on four simultaneous devices will be available at Rs 89 per month.
Previously, the platform offered its premium service at Rs 99 monthly or Rs 999 annually for streaming on up to four devices simultaneously, albeit with advertisements.
The new plans will offer an ad free experience delivered in up to 4K quality and off-line viewing options. Members can access exclusive series, movies, Hollywood, kids & TV entertainment, on any device, including Connected TVs.
Existing JioCinema premium members will now enjoy all the additional benefits of the ‘Family’ plan at no extra cost.
However, sports content, including the ongoing IPL and thousands of hours of entertainment content, will continue to be available for free as part of its ad-supported offering.
Speaking on the launch of JioCinema Premium, Kiran Mani, CEO, Viacom18 Digital says: “Creating and building an entertainment ecosystem with a product that is made for every Indian household, is not just a business strategy, but a vision to empower our country and users with an unmatched entertainment experience. JioCinema Premium aims to redefine the narrative of premium entertainment for every Indian while building a daily viewing habit.
“The introduction of JioCinema Premium breaks the numerous cost and quality barriers that exist in accessing premium entertainment. With 4K streaming, best-in-class audio, offline viewing and no device restriction all at a customer-centric pricing is sure to democratise access to quality entertainment for all of India.”
JioCinema has also rolled out a high-decibel campaign asking consumers, “Toh Aaj Kya Plan Hai?”. The campaign highlights the core benefits of JioCinema Premium while sarcastically showcasing the distress of today’s consumers when choosing their entertainment plan.
Through partnerships with major studios like Peacock, HBO, Paramount, and Warner Bros Discovery, the platform currently provides premium members access to the latest global series and movie premieres from Hollywood.
Popular titles such as Game Of Thrones, House Of The Dragon, Oppenheimer, Barbie, and more will also be accessible in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Marathi.
The latest move by JioCinema comes on the back of recent agreements with Disney to merge India TV and streaming assets and content partnerships with major players like Warner Bros Discovery and NBCUniversal.
POSTSCRIPT: Seen from this perch, it will come as a surprise if, from next year on, the IPL is NOT also brought onto the JioCinema Premium offering and out of its current free-to-air positioning.
