At RIL AGM, Mukesh Ambani hails Network18's 'great progress' in becoming top news network

At the 46th annual general meeting of Reliance Industries Limited in Mumbai on Monday, Chairman Mukesh Ambani said the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was streamed for free on JioCinema for the first time, set a global record with a staggering 45 crore viewers turining in to the platform. “For the first time, IPL was streamed free on JioCinema. It created a global record with a staggering 45 crore viewers tuning in to the platform. More people watched IPL on digital devices than on linear television, marking a tectonic shift in the way content is consumed in India,” Mukesh Ambani said. Pointing RIL’s progress in the media and entertainment sector, Mukesh Ambani said the business “created a huge disruption last year, with JioCinema leading the way”. Praising the reach and diversity of JioCinema, Mukesh Ambani said: “JioCinema has now become India’s largest digital entertainment destination for blockbuster movies, OTT originals, the biggest reality shows, and exclusive content from leading global studios like HBO and NBCU. In short, JioCinema delivered industry-leading engagement metrics, registering strong growth in paid subscribers.” He further said AR/VR device Jio Dive has “revolutionised sports viewing in India. It gives the feel of a stadium-like experience through 360-degree viewing from anywhere, any place”. Mukesh Ambani also noted the “great progress” made by Network18 “in its journey to becoming the top news network in India. It is going deeper locally and growing wider with international coverage”. He added: “Our homegrown digital news platforms, Moneycontrol and Firstpost, are setting new benchmarks globally.” Mukesh Ambani called Reliance the forerunner of emerging New India and said RIL has cumulatively invested $150 billion in the last 10 years, the biggest by any Indian corporate. “We have set seemingly impossible goals and achieved them," he added. Disclaimer: Firstpost is part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.