Viacom18’s JioCinema has recently acquired the exclusive digital rights to broadcast the Indian cricket team’s tour of the West Indies in 2023. This upcoming series comprises two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is. Commencing on July 12, the tour will kick off with the first Test match at Dominica’s Windsor Park. Notably, this Test series holds significance as it marks India’s entry into the World Test Championship for the 2023-25 cycle after their recent defeat in the finals of the 2021 – 2023 cycle to Australia.
JioCinema’s tour coverage includes match commentary in multiple languages, such as English, Hindi, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.
Hursh Shrivastava, Sports Head of Strategy, Partnership, and Acquisitions at Viacom18, expressed the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality presentations. JioCinema’s focus on technological advancements and seamless streaming experiences has been evident in their previous endeavors, including the TATA IPL 2023, which garnered significant viewership.
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Following the Tests, the tour will transition to the limited-overs format, featuring a three-match ODI series. The first two matches are scheduled at the renowned Kensington Oval in Barbados on July 27 and 29. The third ODI will occur on August 1 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.
JioCinema Continues its Bet on Sports
Viacom18, a joint venture between Network 18 (owned by Reliance Industries Limited) and Paramount Global, secured the streaming rights for the men’s edition of the IPL for a mind-blowing Rs. 23,758 crores (approximately $3 billion) in June 2022. In addition to bagging the IPL streaming rights in the Indian subcontinent, Viacom18 also secured the rights to broadcast the matches in Australia, South Africa, and the UK.
Before the Men’s IPL, JioCinema streamed the Football World Cup in December 2022 and the Women’s IPL in March 2023.
The IPL was highly successful for JioCinema in terms of streaming numbers and revenues, recording 32 million concurrent viewers during IPL 2023 Finals and raking in ~Rs 2,300 crore.
Jio Cinema’s penetration grew by almost 4x to 40.26% on the back of free, ad-based streaming of the Indian Premier League (according to Bobble AI, a conversation media platform). Before the start of the IPL season, the platform’s penetration stood at 10.73%.
Jiocinema’s Foray into SVOD
JioCinema entered the Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) space by launching JioCinema Premium, thus marking a milestone in its evolution. Previously reliant on an AVOD revenue model, the platform has now introduced a Rs 999/year subscription to provide its users with a premium entertainment experience.
The move comes after JioCinema’s deal with HBO and Warner Bros, which granted the platform exclusive streaming rights in India. JioCinema viewers will be able to catch HBO shows like Succession, House of The Dragon, The White Lotus, and Max Originals like And Just Like That… and Peacemaker. Plus, they will have access to Warner Bros.’s massive library, including Harry Potter, DC Universe movies, and Lord of the Rings.
Krishna Rao Vijayanagar
Krishna Rao Vijayanagar, Ph.D., is the Editor-in-Chief of OTTVerse, a news portal covering tech and business news in the OTT industry.
With extensive experience in video encoding, streaming, analytics, monetization, end-to-end streaming, and more, Krishna has held multiple leadership roles in R&D, Engineering, and Product at companies such as Harmonic Inc., MediaMelon, and Airtel Digital. Krishna has published numerous articles and research papers and speaks at industry events to share his insights and perspectives on the fundamentals and the future of OTT streaming.
