The scale behind the slate
JioStar’s unscripted push is now quantified. Its coffee-table book recorded one billion viewers and more than 460 billion minutes of watch time in the 12 months before publication, with about two-thirds of that audience under 30. Alok Jain, who heads Hindi and English entertainment for streaming, TV and studios at JioStar, calls it the largest platform for unscripted entertainment in India.
That scale was boosted by the Reliance-Disney India merger that put JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar together. Jain says JioHotstar brought its larger audience to the unscripted catalogue: Splitsvilla tripled its viewership compared with its previous JioCinema season, and Khatron Ke Khiladi almost doubled this year.
Koffee with Karan exits on its own terms
The most recognisable title in the slate is heading for a deliberate finale. Koffee with Karan, which began in 2004 on Star World, will end after a final ninth season, 22 years and 161 episodes. Jain frames the move as franchise management, not retreat: “We would rather leave audiences wanting more than continue a show beyond the moment that feels right.”
JioStar remains in business with Karan Johar; a TV spin-off of Student of the Year launches this month.
The slate in numbers
- 1 billion unscripted viewers in 12 months; 460 billion-plus minutes watched.
- Bigg Boss: 9.32 billion votes and 43 million live chats last year.
- About 70% homegrown formats and 30% global IP in development.
- Roughly 75% of the 15-show slate is returning series, leaving 25% for new bets.
- Close to 27 billion social views across JioStar shows in 12 months.
Bigg Boss now runs six language versions simultaneously, which Jain says creates reach and advertiser synergies. JioHotstar has also expanded distribution into the UK, Canada and Singapore, alongside parts of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Why the exit matters for marketers
For media planners, the Koffee decision is a scarcity play. Ending a still-performing format lets JioStar protect the brand, drive a final-season spike, and leave room for newer IP without milking a franchise past its peak. The rest of the slate shows the same discipline: mostly returning shows, a clearly sized experimentation window, and multiple revenue streams through advertising, subscriptions and brand deals such as Hustle’s Bonkers Corner tie-up.
Creator-led shows are another bet. JioHotstar’s Sparks initiative has greenlit titles with YouTubers including Abhishek Malhan, Uorfi Javed, Harsh Gujral, Elvish Yadav and Zakir Khan.
The next test is international. Jain says Indian formats were historically built too cheaply for the format fee to look attractive to overseas buyers. The company is now targeting culturally similar markets such as Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia first.
Source: Deadline
