JioHotstar launched a replacement streaming app in the United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore on September 2, 2026, moving users of the former Hotstar service to a redesigned product with more than 160,000 hours of entertainment, multilingual subtitles and dubbing, and interactive features. JioStar operates the service, available through the App Store and Google Play Store in all three markets. [1] [2]
The rollout is live, but it is not a like-for-like sports expansion. The launch package includes Indian series, films, television programming and the six-language reality franchise Bigg Boss, yet the Indian Premier League and other cricket competitions for which JioStar owns Indian rights were not included. New quarterly subscriptions sit alongside annual plans, while existing UK monthly subscribers can keep their plans while auto-renewal remains active. [1] [2]
Key points
- The new app went live in the UK, Canada and Singapore on September 2, replacing Hotstar in those markets. [2]
- JioHotstar says the launch catalogue exceeds 160,000 hours and spans more than 12 Asian languages. [1] [2]
- Bigg Boss viewers in all three markets can vote live; Canada and the UK also receive a 24-hour live feed. [1] [2]
- Quarterly plans cost £19.99 in the UK, CAD 19.99 in Canada and SGD 29.98 in Singapore; annual plans remain available. [1] [2]
- Major cricket competitions, including the Indian Premier League, are outside the initial package. [1]
What happened
JioStar introduced JioHotstar as an all-new app rather than a simple name change inside the existing Hotstar application. Users can download the replacement app and sign in with their Hotstar credentials. Their existing plan is set to convert automatically to the matching JioHotstar tier, according to the launch coverage. In the UK, current monthly subscribers may continue on those plans until a renewal ends or changes. [1]
The commercial change is most visible in the new billing cadence. The quarterly option is available in each market, alongside annual subscriptions. The reported prices, effective September 2, are £19.99 per quarter and £69.99 per year in the UK; CAD 19.99 quarterly and CAD 49.99 annually in Canada; and SGD 29.98 quarterly and SGD 69.98 annually in Singapore. [1] [2]
The product also adds participation tools. Bigg Boss is offered across six languages, with live voting available to viewers in all three markets. Users in Canada and the UK receive a 24/7 live feed, while Canadian viewers can watch Bigg Boss Hindi seven days before its television broadcast. [1] [2]
Verified background and context
The international app extends a service that was already present under the Hotstar name. JioHotstar brings the product experience and catalogue associated with JioStar's India platform to the three established markets, while adding market-specific scheduling and discovery features. The launch is therefore both a rebrand and a product repositioning for audiences already familiar with the service. [1]
The catalogue combines JioHotstar originals, films, reality programming and content from JioStar television channels. Reported titles include Asur, Pritam & Pedro, Special Ops, Criminal Justice, Heartbeat, Resort, Dhurandhar, 12th Fail and Chhichhore. Channel programming comes from Star Plus, Colors, Star Vijay, Asianet, Star Jalsha and Star Pravah. [1] [2]
Availability differs by market. Canada and Singapore receive early access to selected shows through a Before-TV feature. UK viewers can watch popular shows simultaneously with their television broadcast. Canada and Singapore also receive India Ka Top 1 Percent, a new format hosted by Anil Kapoor. The service says its subtitles and dubbing cover more than 12 Asian languages, including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi. [1] [2]
JioStar's international-business chief Amit Malhotra described the strategy as a move beyond catalogue size toward discovery, personalization and real-time participation. That is a company position, not an independently measured outcome. Variety also reported that JioStar presents JioHotstar's base of more than 500 million active users as evidence of scale; the figure is a company claim and does not establish the number of paying subscribers in the three new markets. [1]
Why it matters for viewers
For existing Hotstar customers, the immediate impact is operational. They must use the new app, but the reported credential migration is intended to preserve account access and align the old plan with a new tier. UK customers have a temporary continuity route through their existing monthly plans, whereas the published new-market offer emphasizes quarterly and annual commitments. [1] [2]
For prospective subscribers, the value proposition is breadth and cultural specificity rather than a promise of universal sports coverage. A catalogue of more than 160,000 hours and content in more than 12 Asian languages could make the service relevant to South Asian diaspora households and viewers seeking Indian-language programming. That audience rationale is also the company's stated positioning, so its eventual reach and retention remain unverified. [1] [2]
The interactive design may change how reality television is consumed. Live voting gives viewers a direct role in Bigg Boss editions, and the 24/7 feed in Canada and the UK adds continuous access beyond scheduled episodes. These are confirmed product features, but neither launch report provides audience data showing whether they improve engagement or justify the new subscription structure. [1] [2]
What remains uncertain
The launch reports do not provide subscriber numbers, conversion rates from Hotstar, churn data or revenue forecasts for the UK, Canada or Singapore. They also do not establish whether the service will later add the Indian Premier League or other cricket competitions. The absence of those rights from the initial package should therefore be read as a current launch condition, not a permanent programming decision. [1]
The sources describe a catalogue of more than 160,000 hours and Deadline reports a plan to add 30,000 hours annually. The latter is a reported plan rather than a delivery record, and neither source explains how hours are counted across language versions, repeats or platform windows. Similarly, JioStar's broader user-base figure is not a market-by-market subscriber measure. [1] [2]
Pricing, plan conversion and content availability can change after launch. The verified reports establish the terms published for September 2, 2026, but they do not specify later promotional pricing, device limits, geographic licensing changes or the treatment of every legacy account type. Readers should distinguish those open questions from the features and prices documented at launch. [1] [2]
What happens next
The next test is execution across three different media markets. JioStar will need to maintain the promised app migration, deliver simultaneous or early television access where advertised, and sustain live voting and continuous feeds without reducing reliability. Those are practical questions that the launch announcement cannot answer.
Programming depth will also be watched closely. JioStar has launched with originals, films, channel shows and reality franchises, while leaving major cricket competitions outside the initial package. Future rights decisions, additions to the catalogue and any changes to monthly-plan availability will determine whether JioHotstar becomes a durable replacement for Hotstar or primarily a refreshed entertainment service for a defined audience.
For now, the verified status is straightforward: JioHotstar is live in the UK, Canada and Singapore after the September 2 launch, with a broader app experience and new subscription structure, but with sports availability narrower than some viewers may expect. [1] [2]
