JioHotstar has entered the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through a partnership with Starzplay, expanding its international presence beyond the UK, Canada and Singapore.

Under the partnership, JioHotstar will be available as a dedicated streaming destination on the Starzplay app and website.

The offering will include JioHotstar Originals alongside its India releases, television content from JioStar channels, films and reality franchises.

The catalogue will feature content in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Bangla and other languages, with audio tracks available in up to 10 languages.

It will also include the upcoming final season of Koffee with Karan and the ongoing Bigg Boss season across six languages. The offering includes a Malayalam catalogue aimed at the region’s Malayali audience.

The MENA launch adds to JioHotstar’s international presence across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East, with the platform using partnerships to distribute its content in different markets.

Amit Malhotra, head – international business, JioStar, said, “The strong early response to JioHotstar across the UK, Canada and Singapore has reinforced our belief in the global opportunity for Indian entertainment. As we build JioHotstar into a truly global streaming platform, MENA is a crucial next market, with one of the world’s largest South Asian diaspora communities and a deep appetite for entertainment across languages. Our partnership with Starzplay allows us to enter the region with scale and bring audiences the breadth of JioHotstar, from new originals and daily television to blockbuster films and iconic reality franchises. This is an important step in taking Indian stories, talent and cultural moments to audiences around the world.”

Maaz Sheikh, CEO, Starzplay, added, “The next phase of streaming growth in MENA will be shaped by platforms that bring the right brands together and make the viewing experience more valuable. Audiences should not have to navigate an increasingly fragmented market to find the entertainment that matters to them. Bringing JioHotstar to Starzplay is a strategic investment in that future, combining the strength of India’s storytelling with our understanding of this region and the audiences we serve. Cricket has given Starzplay a strong and lasting relationship with South Asian audiences across the region. JioHotstar allows us to extend that relationship beyond the match and into the entertainment households return to every day. Our ambition is to make Starzplay the destination where every member of the family finds something they value."