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Cricket Fans, Take Note: IPL 2025 Will No Longer Stream for Free

Cricket fans will be elated with another noticeable development when the JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar merger gave birth to the new JioHotstar streaming platform that has revealed the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches will no longer be free streamed from the 2025 season onwards. This has led to the introduction of a hybrid subscription model, where users have to pay a subscription fee to continue watching the live matches after the initial free access period.

JioCinema has been streaming IPL matches for free since securing the rights in 2023. But with the recent merger into JioHotstar, the platform has changed its modus operandi. As per reports, a viewer could catch some minutes of an IPL match for free, but once this preview runs out, he or she would be asked to choose between different subscription plans in order to continue watching.

The newly introduced subscription plans are as follows:
  • Basic Plan : Priced at ₹149 for three months, this plan offers standard access to advertisements.
  • Ad-Free Plan : Available at ₹499 for three months, this plan provides an uninterrupted viewing experience without advertisements.
This step is part of a broader industry-wide trend to trade off generating revenue on premium sports content to get paid for it in the form of subscriptions. With the acquisition of the merger of Reliance JioCinema & Disney Hotstar being valued at $8.5 billion, there has been the creation of a new entity by the name of JioHotstar with more than 50 crore new subscribers and a unified content library that deals with entertainment and live sports programs.
Beyond cricket, the focus of JioHotstar is to enrich the overall streaming experience with features like ultra-HD 4K streaming, AI-driven insights, real-time statistics overlays, multi-angle viewing, and extensive cultural and special interest feeds, to present fans with a more painstaking experience.
The adoption of a subscription-based model for IPL streaming is clearly set to change access and interaction seriously throughout the tournament. Considering that it is one of the most-watched cricket leagues in the world, this is a major turning point in the growth of sports broadcasting in India.

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