In a game-changing move for India’s OTT landscape, JioHotstar, the merged entity of Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema, has crossed the 200 million subscriber milestone, cementing its place as one of the world’s largest streaming platforms. This massive surge in subscriptions was powered primarily by the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, which continues to captivate millions. Since its launch on February 14 with 50 million users, the platform doubled its user base within weeks, reaching 100 million shortly after the IPL kicked off on March 22.
Massive Digital Reach and Deep Engagement
JioHotstar’s digital footprint has been phenomenal. The platform garnered over 8 billion live views in just the first 24 IPL matches a 30% increase in live digital reach and watch-time compared to last year. According to Sanjog Gupta, CEO of Sports at JioStar, IPL matches consistently attract highly engaged viewers, with each viewer spending an average of 60 to 100 minutes per game. These high engagement levels create a powerful environment for advertisers, as viewers are not only attentive but also in a “brand-safe” space ideal for marketing.
International Brands Bet Big on IPL
The IPL’s rising international clout is drawing in a wave of global advertisers. Previously aligned primarily with international cricket events, brands from around the world are now eager to associate with IPL’s unmatched visibility. This season, five major international airlines, Turkish Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Emirates, have partnered with the tournament. Other global names such as DP World, Disney Cruise Line, Aramco, and Saudi Tourism have also come on board. Altogether, the league has roped in 32 sponsors this year, including big names like Campa, Samsung, and Birla Opus.
Women’s Cricket on a Steady Rise
Gupta emphasized JioHotstar’s commitment to growing women’s sports. Over the past four years, women’s cricket has seen remarkable growth, with the Women’s Premier League (WPL) setting new records for viewership. This year’s edition was the most watched in WPL history, achieving over 20% year-on-year growth. On linear TV alone, the WPL audience grew by 53%, reaching 167 million viewers. Gupta underlined that women’s cricket is treated as a distinct investment-worthy segment, and the company plans to make substantial investments over the next two years, especially with the Women’s World Cup slated for October during the festive Diwali season.
Kabaddi and Football Gaining Momentum
While cricket remains king, other sports are gaining popularity. The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is now being watched by over 200 million viewers. JioHotstar aims to expand the kabaddi calendar beyond PKL, signaling its potential for growth in both viewership and monetisation. Meanwhile, Premier League football has notched its highest-ever viewership and advertising revenue this season. Wimbledon also saw record viewership last year, although Gupta admitted these properties are still far from the scale of cricket and kabaddi.
The Darker Side: IPL Betting Boom Challenges Banks
As the IPL brings entertainment and advertising gold, it also unleashes a torrent of betting activity, much of it skirting legal boundaries. With the league drawing more than $100 billion in annual gambling demand, Indian banks are under increasing strain. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India’s real-time digital payments system, must cope with the intense, unpredictable spikes in betting-related transactions.
Illegal online bookmakers operating from overseas often exploit mule accounts and cryptocurrencies to bypass regulation. Meanwhile, legal fantasy platforms like Dream11 and prediction markets like Probo offer more legitimate but equally fast-paced alternatives. These platforms rely on UPI to ensure real-time fund transfers, pushing banks’ IT systems to the limit during in-match betting rushes.
UPI’s Unstoppable Growth and the Strain on Infrastructure
Since UPI’s introduction in 2016, India has emerged as the world leader in real-time digital transactions, accounting for nearly half of global volumes. With UPI facilitating transactions worth $3 trillion annually, banks now operate in a 24/7, high-speed ecosystem. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which runs UPI, even publishes monthly performance rankings for banks based on transaction failures, making reliability a key concern for users.
The Reserve Bank of India is tightening scrutiny around digital infrastructure, pushing banks to invest in technology upgrades and cybersecurity. Companies like VuNet Systems are stepping in with AI and big data solutions, providing banks with real-time operational visibility. VuNet’s systems monitor over a billion daily transactions, generating around 50 terabytes of data daily, roughly the equivalent of watching TikTok for four straight years.
The Profitability Problem and Regulatory Pressure
Despite the staggering volume, most UPI transactions generate little revenue for banks. The government, keen on keeping the system free for users, offers only limited compensation to intermediaries. This model strains bank profitability, even as they are expected to support massive transaction loads and ensure security. Service outages like those recently plaguing UPI only add to public frustration.
As betting spikes during the IPL season puts pressure on infrastructure, any delay or failed transaction becomes a sore point. For a bettor placing a last-minute wager on a certain team to upset the more established players, a payment glitch is more than a technical issue; it’s a lost opportunity to make a major windfall in India’s cricketing carnival.
