 "Free streaming of IPL to be stopped from 2025 season; here's how much fans will have to pay")
In a fresh turn of events, it has been reported that fans will not be able to watch the IPL 2025 season completely for free on JioStar, the newly formed joint venture between Viacom18 and Star India after the merger of JioCinema and Hotstar. The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the hottest sporting properties in India, reaching millions of viewers during its two-month-long run every year. But fans will now have to pay an amount to watch their favourite event online.
No free streaming of IPL 2025
JioCinema has allowed the free streaming of the IPL since securing the digital rights of the tournament for five years in 2023. However, a Reuters report has claimed that the video streaming platform has decided to change its model going into the 2025 season, where fans will have to pay a minimum subscription fee to watch the matches after an initial few minutes of free streaming. The decision comes after Reliance and Walt Disney combined their media assets in India in a $8.5 billion merger deal last year.
“Once a user develops affinity to the platform, start watching free, becomes loyal … the subscription will kick in then,” Reuters quoted a source.
According to the report, a new rebranded app will soon be launched as part of the merger. The IPL will move behind a paywall, including other content on Jio and Hotstar. Fans will reportedly have to pay a subscription fee of INR 149 to watch the full-length matches of the IPL, and they can also get ad-free access by paying INR 499. It is important to note that JioCinema has the streaming rights to other sporting events as well including the English Premier League, Olympics, Indian Super League, and ICC tournaments.
Disney-owned Star India retained the TV broadcast rights of the Indian Premier League for five years by paying a hefty sum of INR 23,575 crore. Meanwhile, Viacom18 won the bid for digital rights of the league for a whopping INR 20,500 crore. This made IPL the most valued cricket league in the world. The 2025 season of the IPL is scheduled to start in March.
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