Reliance Jio on Monday announced 90 days of free streaming on its OTT (over-the-top) platform JioHotstar for its subscribers ahead of the Indian Premier League which starts later this week. This comes on the back of the viewership highs the video streaming service recorded at the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy.

The country’s largest wireless telecom service provider, which held a market share of 40.42 per cent as of December 2024, on Monday said with a Jio SIM and a plan of ₹299 (1.5 GB per day) or above users will have access to 90 days of free JioHotstar on mobile and television.

On offer also is a 50-day free JioFiber/AirFiber trial connection for home, Jio said.

Jio Hotstar had reportedly clocked an unprecedented 124.2 crore views at the final match of the ICC Champions Trophy where India had defeated New Zealand for the title. That match had also set a new record with 6.12 crore peak concurrent viewers, which analysts said has set a new benchmark for streaming of live sports on OTT platforms in the country. The previous record of peak concurrent viewers of 5.9 crore was set during Disney Hotstar’s coverage of the 2023 Cricket World Cup final.

The announcement is aimed at tapping into the large customer base of existing Jio users and also to bring new subscribers under its fold during the IPL, which is considered among the country’s most streamed content. The sports extravaganza is scheduled to be held between March 22 and May 25.

However, the free streaming is subject to a few conditions. Existing Jio users will have to recharge with ₹299 or any plans above between March 17 and March 31, 2025. This timeline also exists for users looking to get a new Jio SIM. For those subscribers who have already recharged before March 17, they can opt for a ₹100 addon pack.

The Jio Hotstar pack will be activated from March 22 (the opening match day of IPL) for a period of 90 days.

In June 2022, Reliance-backed Viacom18 bagged the digital broadcasting rights of IPL with its winning bid of ₹23,758 crore for five years starting from 2023.

Following the previous year’s free streaming on the Jio Cinema platform, the pricing strategy for IPL was under close watch by market analysts. Jio Cinema reportedly recorded an audience reach of 62 crore in the IPL 2024 compared with around 44.9 crore in the previous season.

Analysts said that telcos bundling OTT services is emerging as a win-win strategy that not only helps them shore up the subscriber base but also increases the average revenue per person.

“Indian telcos are increasingly bundling OTT services with their plans, primarily to enhance customer satisfaction and retention. Customers prefer a single provider for all their needs, and this approach simplifies things by offering both mobile and OTT services under one umbrella — making billing and overall management easier,” Vinish Bawa, partner and telecom sector leader at PwC India, told The Telegraph on Monday.

“Additionally, telcos can tap into under-penetrated markets, reaching users who were not traditionally part of their subscriber base. This strategy helps boost ARPU while delivering added value to subscribers. Overall, it’s a win-win approach that benefits both consumers and telcos alike,” he added.

The Indian OTT market is estimated to grow from around ₹17,000 crore in 2023 to ₹35,000 crore in 2028, recording a compounded annual growth rate of 14.9 per cent.