JioHotstar is officially launching in Canada on September 2, expanding its streaming platform beyond India with a vast multilingual catalogue, interactive features and early access to popular television shows.
India-based streaming platform JioHotstar is making its international debut in Canada, bringing more than 160,000 hours of entertainment across 12-plus Asian languages to audiences beginning September 2.
The launch is expected to have particular appeal among Canada’s large South Asian diaspora, with a catalogue spanning Indian television, films, original series, reality programming, children’s content and regional-language entertainment.
The platform, which has more than 500 million active users in India, will offer Canadian viewers access to content in languages including Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi, alongside English subtitles and dubs.
Among the platform’s offerings are critically acclaimed originals and series such as Criminal Justice, Special Ops, Asur, Aarya, Pritam & Pedro, Heartbeat, Kerala Crime Files and Resort. Its film library includes titles such as Dhurandhar, 12th Fail, Chhichhore, Kill, Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, Jatt & Juliet 1 & 2 and Carry On Jatta 3.
JioHotstar will also carry programming from JioStar television networks, including Star Plus, Colors, Star Vijay, Asianet, Star Jalsha, Colors Gujarati and Star Pravah. Canadian subscribers will receive early access to select shows, including Anupama, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Seher Hone Ko Hai, Azhagae Azhagu, Siragadikka Aasai and Cooku with Comali.
Bigg Boss gets an interactive Canadian debut
One of the major features of the Canadian launch will be the Bigg Boss franchise.
Beginning September 6, Canadian viewers will be able to watch Bigg Boss Tamil, hosted by Vijay Sethupathi; Bigg Boss Malayalam, hosted by Mohanlal; Bigg Boss Telugu, hosted by Nagarjuna; Bigg Boss Kannada, hosted by Kichcha Sudeepa; and Bigg Boss Hindi, hosted by Salman Khan. Bigg Boss Bangla is already live.
For the first time, viewers in Canada will have access to live voting across the different editions of the reality franchise, along with 24/7 live feeds that allow them to follow the contestants beyond the regular episodes.
Bigg Boss Hindi will also be available to Canadian audiences seven days before its television premiere, giving subscribers early access to the new season.
Another new offering is India Ka Top 1 Percent, hosted by Anil Kapoor. The game-based format, which tests contestants on logic and reasoning, premieres September 5.
Subscription plans start at CAD $19.99
JioHotstar is offering two subscription options in Canada: a quarterly plan priced at CAD $19.99 and an annual plan at CAD $49.99.
Existing Hotstar subscribers will transition to JioHotstar using their current credentials without service disruption. New users can sign up through the App Store and Google Play Store, with the service available across mobile devices and connected TVs.
The platform also features personalised recommendations designed to help users discover content based on their interests and preferred languages.
“As we launch in Canada, we are bringing the experience JioHotstar is known for to a market with a strong connection to South Asian culture and content,” said Amit Malhotra, Head – International Business, JioStar. “We are connecting audiences to the entertainment they love while also inviting everyone to discover new cultures, stories and perspectives.”
With the Canadian launch, JioHotstar is positioning itself not only as a destination for Indian entertainment abroad but also as a platform designed to make multilingual South Asian content more accessible to audiences across generations.
The JioHotstar app will be available for download in Canada starting September 2.
