Reliance Jio no longer provides free JioCinema subscriptions with prepaid recharge plans.
Reliance Jio's decision to remove JioCinema from prepaid plans affects users and what alternatives are available with JioHotstar.
Reliance Jio, India's largest telecom provider, has made significant changes to its prepaid plans by removing the complimentary JioCinema subscription. This move follows the merger of JioCinema with Disney+ Hotstar, resulting in the launch of JioHotstar, India's largest OTT platform.
The removal of JioCinema affects a wide range of prepaid plans, including those with 28-day validity starting at Rs 249 and annual plans priced at Rs 3,599. Despite this shift, Reliance Jio continues to offer other benefits such as JioTV and JioCloud at no extra cost. Additionally, Jio still provides access to various OTT platforms through select plans, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, FanCode, and a bundled subscription to ZEE5-SonyLIV. However, users who wish to access JioCinema content will now need to subscribe directly to JioHotstar, which offers multiple subscription tiers.
The new JioHotstar platform provides three subscription plans:
Mobile Plan: Priced at Rs 149 for three months or Rs 499 annually, offering HD streaming on one mobile device with ads.
Super Plan: Available for Rs 299 for three months or Rs 899 annually, allowing Full HD streaming on two devices with ads.
Premium Plan: Costs Rs 299 monthly, Rs 499 quarterly, or Rs 1,499 annually for ad-free 4K streaming on up to four devices.
For existing JioCinema subscribers, Reliance Jio has ensured a seamless transition by automatically upgrading them to the equivalent JioHotstar Premium subscription for the duration of their current plan. This ensures that users do not lose access to their favourite content during the transition period. While some users may view the removal of JioCinema as a drawback, the introduction of JioHotstar offers a broader range of content options and enhanced streaming features.