No free IPL 2025 streaming after JioCinema and Disney Hotstar merge to form JioHotstar

New subscription plans have been announced after the big merger on Valentine’s Day.

From today, February 14, fans will need a minimum subscription plan of ₹149 to watch IPL on the newly launched JioHotstar. Hence, there will be no complete free streaming on the platform of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on JioHotstar, which is the newly formed joint venture by the merger of Viacom18 and Star India called JioStar.

No free streaming of IPL 2025 on JioHotstar.

The new streaming platform JioHotstar was launched on Friday, Valentine’s Day, after JioCinema and Disney+Hotstar streaming platforms merged to become JioStar. While the new platform, with nearly 3 lakh hours of entertainment, live sports coverage and more than 50 crore users, aims to provide a better viewing experience, its new hybrid subscription model is set to take away privileges of cricket fans across India. As per a Reuters report, fans can watch a match for only a few minutes without a subscription. After the free minutes expire, they will be directed to a subscription page with plans starting at ₹149 rupees. The decision to change the terms of streaming the IPL comes after Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance and Walt Disney combined their India media assets in an $8.5 billion merger last year.

Subscription plans in JioHotstar.

A source told Reuters, “Once a user develops affinity to the platform, start watching free, becomes loyal … the subscription will kick in then,” and added that each user’s subscription could start at a different point of time. The joint venture entity’s streaming offering will be available on a new rebranded app, which will offer a basic plan starting ₹149 ($1.72) and an ad-free version for ₹499 ($5.75) for three months, said the first source.

The company in an official statement, wrote, “What sets JioHotstar apart is its elevated streaming experience — featuring ultra-HD 4K streaming, AI-powered insights, real-time stats overlays, multi-angle viewing and range of ‘culture’ and ‘special interest’ feeds — ensuring fans enjoy deeper, more immersive access to the sports they love.”