HBO and Warner Bros shake up Indian streaming market with Jio Cinema partnership

Highlights

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• HBO and Warner Bros have partnered with Jio Cinema, a video-on-demand service of Reliance Jio, India's largest telecom operator.

• The deal brings popular movies and shows from HBO and Warner Bros to Jio Cinema's platform, which already boasts over 10,000 titles across genres and languages.

• Jio Cinema users will be able to access content from HBO's acclaimed originals such as Game of Thrones, Succession, Chernobyl, The Wire, and more, as well as Warner Bros' blockbuster franchises.

• The partnership is expected to boost Jio Cinema's user base and engagement and tap into India's fast-growing streaming market, projected to reach $4.5 billion by 2025

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The Indian streaming market is set to witness a major shake-up as two of the biggest Hollywood studios, HBO and Warner Bros, have announced a partnership with Jio Cinema, the video-on-demand service of Reliance Jio, India's largest telecom operator. The deal will bring a host of popular movies and shows from HBO and Warner Bros to Jio Cinema's platform, which already boasts of over 10,000 titles across genres and languages.

According to a press release, the partnership will enable Jio Cinema users to access content from HBO's acclaimed originals such as Game of Thrones, Succession, Chernobyl, The Wire, and more, as well as Warner Bros' blockbuster franchises such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Batman, and more. The deal will also include content from WarnerMedia's other brands such as Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TNT, and DC.

The partnership is expected to give a significant boost to Jio Cinema's user base and engagement, as well as to Jio's overall digital ecosystem. Jio Cinema is currently available for free to all Jio subscribers, who number over 400 million in India. The service is accessible through the Jio TV app on smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and web browsers.

The deal is also seen as a strategic move by HBO and Warner Bros to tap into the fast-growing Indian streaming market, which is projected to reach $4.5 billion by 2025, according to a report by PwC. The two studios have been facing stiff competition from other global players such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and Apple TV+, as well as from local players such as Zee5, SonyLIV, Voot, and MX Player.

By partnering with Jio Cinema, HBO and Warner Bros will be able to leverage Jio's massive reach and distribution network in India, as well as its low-cost data plans and bundled offers. The deal will also help them avoid the regulatory hurdles and censorship issues that often plague foreign content providers in India.

The partnership is likely to have a ripple effect on the Indian streaming market, as it may trigger more alliances and acquisitions among the existing players. It may also prompt other global studios such as Paramount, Universal, and Sony to explore similar deals with Indian platforms. The deal may also impact the launch plans of HBO Max and WarnerMedia Discovery in India, which are expected to debut in 2022.

The partnership between HBO and Warner Bros and Jio Cinema is a win-win situation for both parties, as well as for Indian consumers who will get access to more quality content at affordable prices. The deal is a testament to the growing importance and potential of the Indian streaming market, which is poised to become one of the largest and most diverse in the world.