JioHotstar South Unbound: ₹4,000 Cr Investment to Transform South India’s OTT
JioHotstar South Unbound: A ₹4,000 Cr Investment
After crossing 400 million monthly active users in just 10 months, JioHotstar is now turning its spotlight on South India. Under its ambitious South Unbound initiative, the platform has announced a ₹4,000 crore investment over five years to build a South‑focused content and creator ecosystem.
Overall, JioStar (TV + digital) will pump in ₹12,000 crore into the South, marking one of the biggest OTT investments in the region.
A Bigger, Deeper Content Push
As part of this strategy, JioHotstar has unveiled:
- 25 new titles
- 1,500 hours of fresh South programming over the next 12 months
But South Unbound is more than just content rollout. It’s a call to action for producers and creators.
Krishnan Kutty, head of entertainment business, South Cluster, JioStar, said:
“We want young creators to know that we’re open for business. If you have a great story, we’re eager to work with you.”
Partnership with Tamil Nadu
Reinforcing its commitment, JioHotstar signed a letter of intent with the Tamil Nadu government to accelerate the state’s production ecosystem.
Highlights include:
- Regional‑first formats
- Spotlight on local stories
- Skill‑building through writing labs, mentoring programmes, and workshops
Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin announced the partnership will create:
- 1,000 direct jobs
- 15,000 indirect jobs
Why South India Matters
South India has become JioHotstar’s strongest growth engine:
- Subscription depth, retention, and Connected TV adoption lead the country
- Since the JioCinema–Disney+ Hotstar merger:
- Viewership of South content grew 70%
- Watch time rose 170%
Demand goes beyond the region:
- 80% of Malayalam watch time comes from outside Kerala
- South content is watched in 99.96% of India’s pincodes
Serving the Whole Household
Consumer behaviour is shifting. Shows made for young women often resonate with older viewers, men, or couples. Kutty explained:
“The challenge and opportunity is to programme for these fluid audience cohorts and let every great story find its full potential.”
Betting on Gen Z
JioHotstar is also investing in Gen Z storytelling. Contrary to industry belief, young audiences don’t just want micro‑content.
Kutty noted:
“Our long‑running series show that attention was not the issue. We just hadn’t told enough stories that truly reflect their lives.”
Global Ambitions
Currently India‑only, JioHotstar has global expansion on its roadmap.
Sushant Sreeram, head of SVOD & CMO, said South Indian stories have international potential:
“Kerala shouldn’t be called the ‘new Korea’. If anything, Korea should be the ‘new Kerala’.”
Rise of Connected TV in the South
Nearly 45% of JioHotstar’s southern audience watches on Connected TVs, making it one of India’s earliest CTV‑first regions.
Families who once watched linear TV together are now watching OTT together on CTV. JioStar’s linear TV footprint—Star Vijay, Star Suvarna, Colors Kannada, Colors Tamil, Asianet—reinforces this ecosystem.
Competing in a Crowded OTT Market
South OTT is competitive with players like ManoramaMAX (Malayalam), aha (Tamil/Telugu), NammaFlix (Kannada).
Kutty remains confident:
“Some platforms take an event‑driven view. Our approach is long‑term, consistent and built to serve consumers in a significant way.”
New Slate Highlights
By early 2026, JioHotstar plans to scale non‑scripted content.
Reality lineup: Comedy Cooks, Mad for Each Other, Second Love, Roadies (Telugu debut).
Returning franchises: Kerala Crime Files S3, Save The Tigers S3, Heartbeat S3, Good Wife S2.
New originals: Cousins And Kalyanams, Moodu Lantharlu, LBW – Love Beyond Wicket, Resort, Secret Stories: Roslin, Lingam, Vikram On Duty.
Premium originals: Vishakha (Aarya adaptation), Kaattaan (Vijay Sethupathi), Pharma (Nivin Pauly).
Feature films: Lucky The Superstar, Kenatha Kaanom.
Growth Trajectory
In South India alone:
- 60% growth in new advertisers in 10 months
- Subscribers jumped from 29 million to 300 million
Sreeram said:
“Ten months ago, we wondered how long it would take to reach 200 million subscribers. It happened in under a year. The biggest risk now is aiming too low.”
JioHotstar now reaches 100% of India’s pincodes and has built the country’s largest Connected TV universe with 85 million+ devices.
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