Warner Bros. Discovery is partnering with Viacom18’s JioCinema to bring HBO, Max Original, and Warner Bros. shows to India. This deal is huge for JioCinema, backed by Mukesh Ambani, and has been scoring big lately, especially with bagging the IPL and WIPL T20 cricket streaming rights.
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 Rs. 23,758 crores (approximately $3 billion) in June 2022. In addition to winning the IPL streaming rights in the Indian subcontinent, Viacom18 also secured the rights to broadcast the matches in Australia, South Africa, and the UK.
Viacom18’s commitment to sports streaming is evident from their recent deals with IPL, Women’s IPL, Football World Cup 2022, La Liga, Series A, MotoGP, and other sporting leagues.
What will stream on JioCinema?
Starting next month, 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.
And, under this deal, television series will premiere on JioCinema on the same day as the U.S.
Monetization – AVOD, SVOD, or Hybrid?
And, lest you forget, you can *currently* watch all the content on JioCinema for free on an AVOD model. JioCinema’s FAQs state –
Currently we do not have a subscription model and all content on JioCinema, including downloaded content will contain advertisements.
Will the entry of WB & HBO signal the shift to a hybrid monetization model with a mix of SVOD and AVOD? Time will tell, but it looks probable the way they are proceeding with their deals and partnerships.
Related: Read OTTVerse’s coverage of the IPL on JioCinema here
Abhi Rao
Abhi is the Managing Director and Head of Marketing for OTTVerse. She holds an MBA from Queen’s University, Canada, and comes with more than a decade of experience as a Business Analyst working with some of the biggest banks in the US and Canada. Before joining OTTVerse, Abhi ran her educational startup focusing on content creation, sales, and marketing.
Abhi runs the day-to-day operations, marketing, and sales for OTTVerse.