JioCinema, the OTT platform backed by Reliance Industries, has announced a multi-year partnership with NBCUniversal (NBCU) to bring the renowned media company’s films and TV shows to Indian audiences. This comes just weeks after JioCinema struck a content partnership deal with HBO.
Through this collaboration, JioCinema Premium subscribers will gain access to NBCUniversal’s content, including Peacock Original Series and new movies. JioCinema recently introduced a premium subscription plan, starting at INR 999 per year, which enables users to enjoy international content, including offerings from HBO and Warner Bros.
The partnership with NBCU is a strategic move by JioCinema to bolster its premium content library and attract customers in India’s competitive OTT market. In an official statement, JioCinema announced that NBCU’s programming will be available on a Peacock branded hub on JioCinema starting next month. Viewers can anticipate popular series like Young Rock, The Lazarus Project, and The Lovers, as well as Peacock originals such as Bel-Air, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, and The Calling.
Viacom18, the parent company of JioCinema, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting JioCinema’s reach and expertise in introducing Indian audiences to the Peacock brand and NBCU’s extensive portfolio. The partnership not only strengthens JioCinema’s position as the largest OTT service in the Indian market but also reinforces its content lineup with a wealth of high-quality films and series from NBCU.
It’s worth noting that last month, Viacom18 entered into an exclusive content partnership with Warner Bros, enabling JioCinema to host HBO, Max Originals, and Warner Bros. content.
JioCinema has been actively expanding its content offerings, from sports to premium and original content, in its bid to capture a significant share of India’s booming OTT market. The platform recently announced plans to release around 100 movies and shows, with a production budget of INR 2,000 crore, over the next 18-24 months.
The decision to stream the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) for free has already proven successful for JioCinema, attracting a substantial number of new customers. During the opening weekend of the cricket tournament, JioCinema reported 50 million app downloads and over 1.47 billion video views, drawing in 100 million new viewers.
By securing the digital rights to this prestigious cricket tournament, JioCinema has posed a formidable challenge to the dominant player in the Indian OTT market, Disney+Hotstar. Additionally, with the addition of new premium content through its partnership with NBCU, JioCinema is likely to disrupt other competitors such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, and SonyLIV.
According to a report by RBSA Advisors, India’s video OTT market is projected to grow to $12.5 billion by 2030, up from approximately $1.5 billion in 2021, driven by increasing internet and smartphone penetration.
