HBO
Warner Bros Discovery has signed a multi-year licensing agreement with Viacom18, under which the JioCinema service will become the new streaming home for HBO, Max Original and Warner Bros. content in India from next month.
The partnership, which includes exclusive content rights across digital and linear, covers HBO series such as Dragon houseAnd The last of usAnd Succession And white lotus; The original Max series incl And just like that…And peace maker And hostess; And upcoming Warner Bros movies and library titles incl Harry PotterAnd Lord of the rings and the DC Universe films.
The deal with JioCinema replaces Warner Bros Discovery’s streaming partnership previously with Disney + Hotstar for India, which ended on March 31, when Disney opted not to renew its long-term licensing agreement.
Although the English language product is considered niche in India, its reach is increasing according to recent research, Indian netizens are complaining on social media that they cannot access the fourth season of HBO Successionwhich began dropping its weekly episodes on March 26.
JioCinema, the streaming service launched by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries in 2016, has recently been integrated into Viacom18, a joint venture between Reliance Industries and Paramount Global, as part of a strategic partnership backed by James Murdoch and Uday Shankar’s Bodhi Tree Systems.
Viacom18 has also acquired the live-streaming rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, previously also broadcast by Disney+ Hotstar, in a $3 billion deal announced last year. Disney acquired the rights to the linear broadcast of the tournament for approximately $3 billion.
“Warner Bros Discovery brands are incredibly popular across India, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Viacom18 to bring premium HBO, Max Original and Warner Bros. content to local fans,” said Clement Schwebig, President, Warner Bros Discovery India, Southeast Asia and Korea. This new agreement demonstrates our commitment to South Asia as we seek to entertain audiences across more platforms, and further enhance our regional business as a whole.”
Ferzad Palia, Head of SVOD and International Business, Viacom18 said: “JioCinema has become the largest platform for live sports. We are now on a mission to build the most engaging destination for entertainment for all Indians.
“The strategic partnership with Warner Bros Discovery is a significant milestone in our journey to bring the best Hollywood content to our elite clients. We believe Warner Bros Discovery sets the global standard for premium content and this partnership allows us to create the best all-in-one destination for our users.”
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