JioHotstar has recently reached a major milestone, surpassing 300 million subscribers, bringing it just shy of Netflix‘s last reported figure of 301.63 million. This significant leap comes as the platform experiences a surge in user engagement, particularly spurred by the recently concluded Tata IPL.
According to a media report, Jiostar had just 50 million subscribers in February. However, by May, that number had skyrocketed to 280 million, thanks to the IPL season. Jiostar, the result of a merger between Reliance-backed Jiocinema and Disney+Hotstar in February 2025, saw many firsts in the IPL season this year. Notably, digital viewership reached an impressive 652 million, surpassing the 537 million viewers on television, as per a report by Jiostar.
Record-Breaking Viewership and Revenue Growth
Sanjog Gupta, Chief Executive for Sports and Live Experiences at Jiostar, emphasized how the IPL’s exceptional viewership translated into substantial financial success. “We have managed to make this IPL the most monetised edition of the event and also the most monetised sporting event ever in India across advertising and subscription revenue,” he said.
The IPL, now a critical revenue driver, demonstrated notable growth in its digital reach. Digital viewership for the 2025 edition grew by 5.16% compared to the previous year, which had recorded 620 million viewers. On the other hand, television viewers saw a modest 1.6% dip from 546 million last year. The final match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings, which saw RCB led by Virat Kohli clinch the victory, attracted 237 million digital viewers and 189 million on television.
Digital and TV Reach Combine for Unprecedented Numbers
The overall reach of the IPL across digital and TV platforms touched a remarkable 1.19 billion, with daily viewership averaging 121 million on TV and 170 million digitally. Breaking it down further, Jiostar reported 652 million viewers on the JioHotstar platform, with mobile phones being the most popular viewing device at 417 million. Connected TV users accounted for 235 million.
The peak concurrency, which measures the highest number of users watching simultaneously, reached an astounding 55.2 million on digital platforms alone. The television viewership also contributed significantly, with a total of 514 billion minutes watched.
Language Trends and Advertiser Growth
The report also highlighted growth in regional language viewership, with Telugu seeing the most significant increase—an 87% jump from the previous year. Kannada and Tamil followed with increases of 65% and 52%, respectively, while the Hindi audience grew by 31%, marking it as the slowest-growing among the top language feeds.
The IPL’s broad appeal also extended to advertisers, with 425 brands spanning 40 unique categories participating in this edition. Notably, 270 of these were first-time advertisers. The strong advertiser support reflects the increasing monetization potential of the tournament, further boosting JioHotstar’s revenue stream.
IPL Teams and Their Viewership Impact
In terms of team-specific viewership, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) topped the list with over 330 million video views. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians recorded the highest overall TV watch time per team, with a staggering 106 billion minutes watched.
Conclusion
JioHotstar’s meteoric rise in subscribers, fueled by the 2025 IPL, has helped it close the gap with Netflix in the global OTT race. As digital viewership continues to dominate, Jiostar’s blend of innovative monetization strategies and expanded user base positions it as a major player in India’s sports and entertainment landscape.
