Reliance to end free IPL cricket streaming in India: New subscription plan details

After two years of free streaming of one of the most popular sporting events in India, Reliance Jio, the country's biggest telecom provider by users, announced on Monday that it will begin charging customers to watch Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches.

The new recharge plan, which starts at 299 rupees ($3.44) for Jio's mobile users, will enable them to watch the IPL on Reliance-Disney's newly merged JioHotstar streaming platform, the Reliance Group-owned firm said. The IPL, one of the most popular video streams in the nation and a money-maker, is set to take place from March 22 to May 25.

The action was taken a month after Reuters revealed that the Reliance-Disney joint venture will replace the free streaming of IPL cricket matches that was available on the old JioCinema platform in 2023 and 2024 with a hybrid model that requires a subscription once content consumption reaches a certain threshold.