Mumbai: Global streaming platforms are increasingly moving away from standalone launches in India, instead opting for local partnerships to tap one of the world’s fastest-growing OTT markets while avoiding high content and customer acquisition costs, industry executives said.
Warner Bros Discovery has expanded its partnership with JioStar to launch an HBO Max hub on JioHotstar, rather than rolling out a standalone service in India.
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The approach reflects a broader strategy among platforms such as Disney+, BBC, Peacock and Paramount+, which operate in India through distribution tie-ups rather than direct launches.
“The current wave of OTT content partnerships offers a pragmatic and low risk solution for foreign studios in the near term,” said Rajesh Sethi, partner and leader of media entertainment and sports at PwC India.
“However, it risks creating a strategic overhang in the medium term by trading immediate revenue for diminished optionality and customer ownership in one of the world’s largest entertainment markets,” he added.
Chandrashekar Mantha, partner and media and entertainment sector leader at Deloitte India, said the move aligns with a broader global trend of streaming “shifting from standalone platforms to aggregated ecosystems and content partnerships.”
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He noted that India’s OTT market is highly competitive and price-sensitive, making customer acquisition both expensive and slow.
For global streamers, such partnerships provide access to India’s estimated 600 million OTT users without direct market investments.
For platforms like JioHotstar and Prime Video, aggregation helps deepen content libraries with premium international offerings.
With more than 50 OTT services in India, platforms see an opportunity to offer a frictionless user experience through a single interface and unified billing.
The HBO Max hub on JioHotstar will offer content from HBO, Max Originals, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios, with the add-on pack starting at Rs 49 per month.
Kevin Vaz, CEO – entertainment at JioStar, said the platform is creating a unified destination for premium international content through this partnership. "We are combining scale, curation, quality and ease of access," he noted.
JioHotstar has around 400 million monthly active users.
Warner Bros Discovery had put on hold a full-fledged launch of HBO Max in India in 2022. It later signed a multi-year content licensing deal with JioCinema, which has since merged with Disney+ Hotstar to form JioHotstar, with an annual payout of over $20 million, according to industry estimates. Before that, HBO content was available on Disney+Hotstar until March 2023 under a five-year deal estimated at $50 million.
British broadcaster BBC has partnered with Prime Video Channels, the aggregation marketplace of Amazon Prime Video, and Tata Play Binge.
Stanley Fernandes, SVP distribution, South Asia, at BBC Studios, said they operate a platform-led ecosystem, where services like BBC Player are designed to integrate seamlessly with leading local platforms. “This allows us to combine premium, globally recognised content with strong local distribution, consumer insight, and regulatory understanding,” he said.
In a recent interaction, Prime Video VP- APAC Gaurav Gandhi said OTT aggregation offers value, convenience, and selection to consumers.
The shift towards aggregation is expected to accelerate as more consumers move to connected TV and bundled subscription models.
According to a Ficci-EY report, video subscription revenue in India grew 61% in 2025 to Rs 14,800 crore, driven by local and sports content. The report estimated that 143 million households paid for 216 million video OTT subscriptions, with over 100 million accessing services through ecommerce platforms, aggregators or telecom bundles.
Warner Bros Discovery has expanded its partnership with JioStar to launch an HBO Max hub on JioHotstar, rather than rolling out a standalone service in India.
Also Read: Netflix co-founder Hastings exits as streaming pioneer hunts for growth
The approach reflects a broader strategy among platforms such as Disney+, BBC, Peacock and Paramount+, which operate in India through distribution tie-ups rather than direct launches.
“The current wave of OTT content partnerships offers a pragmatic and low risk solution for foreign studios in the near term,” said Rajesh Sethi, partner and leader of media entertainment and sports at PwC India.
“However, it risks creating a strategic overhang in the medium term by trading immediate revenue for diminished optionality and customer ownership in one of the world’s largest entertainment markets,” he added.
Chandrashekar Mantha, partner and media and entertainment sector leader at Deloitte India, said the move aligns with a broader global trend of streaming “shifting from standalone platforms to aggregated ecosystems and content partnerships.”
Also Read: Ellison takes Paramount, Warner Bros case straight to theater owners
He noted that India’s OTT market is highly competitive and price-sensitive, making customer acquisition both expensive and slow.
For global streamers, such partnerships provide access to India’s estimated 600 million OTT users without direct market investments.
For platforms like JioHotstar and Prime Video, aggregation helps deepen content libraries with premium international offerings.
With more than 50 OTT services in India, platforms see an opportunity to offer a frictionless user experience through a single interface and unified billing.
The HBO Max hub on JioHotstar will offer content from HBO, Max Originals, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios, with the add-on pack starting at Rs 49 per month.
Kevin Vaz, CEO – entertainment at JioStar, said the platform is creating a unified destination for premium international content through this partnership. "We are combining scale, curation, quality and ease of access," he noted.
JioHotstar has around 400 million monthly active users.
Warner Bros Discovery had put on hold a full-fledged launch of HBO Max in India in 2022. It later signed a multi-year content licensing deal with JioCinema, which has since merged with Disney+ Hotstar to form JioHotstar, with an annual payout of over $20 million, according to industry estimates. Before that, HBO content was available on Disney+Hotstar until March 2023 under a five-year deal estimated at $50 million.
British broadcaster BBC has partnered with Prime Video Channels, the aggregation marketplace of Amazon Prime Video, and Tata Play Binge.
Stanley Fernandes, SVP distribution, South Asia, at BBC Studios, said they operate a platform-led ecosystem, where services like BBC Player are designed to integrate seamlessly with leading local platforms. “This allows us to combine premium, globally recognised content with strong local distribution, consumer insight, and regulatory understanding,” he said.
In a recent interaction, Prime Video VP- APAC Gaurav Gandhi said OTT aggregation offers value, convenience, and selection to consumers.
The shift towards aggregation is expected to accelerate as more consumers move to connected TV and bundled subscription models.
According to a Ficci-EY report, video subscription revenue in India grew 61% in 2025 to Rs 14,800 crore, driven by local and sports content. The report estimated that 143 million households paid for 216 million video OTT subscriptions, with over 100 million accessing services through ecommerce platforms, aggregators or telecom bundles.
