Warner Bros Discovery, Viacom18 Sign Exclusive Content Partnership For India
Warner Bros Discovery has signed a multi-year licensing deal with Viacom18 under which its JioCinema service will become the new streaming home of HBO, Max Original and Warner Bros content in India starting next month.
The partnership, which includes exclusive content rights across digital and linear, covers HBO series such as House Of The Dragon, The Last Of Us, Succession and The White Lotus; Max Original series including And Just Like That…, Peacemaker and The Flight Attendant; and upcoming Warner Bros movies and library titles including Harry Potter, Lord Of The Rings and the DC Universe movies.
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The deal with JioCinema replaces the streaming partnership that Warner Bros Discovery previously had with Disney+ Hotstar for India, which came to an end on March 31, when Disney opted to not renew the long-term licensing pact.
Although English-language product is considered niche in India, its reach is growing according to recent research, and Indian netizens have been complaining on social media about not having access to the fourth season of HBO’s Succession, which started dropping weekly episodes on March 26.
JioCinema, a streaming service launched by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries in 2016, was recently folded into Viacom18, a joint venture between Reliance Industries and Paramount Global, as part of a strategic partnership backed by James Murdoch and Uday Shankar’s Bodhi Tree Systems.
Viacom18 also nabbed streaming rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, also previously streamed by Disney+ Hotstar, in a $3BN deal announced last year. Disney acquired linear broadcast rights to the tournament for around $3BN.
Clement Schwebig, President, India, Southeast Asia and Korea, Warner Bros Discovery, said: “Warner Bros Discovery’s brands are incredibly popular across India, and we are pleased to partner with Viacom18 to bring our premium HBO, Max Original and Warner Bros content to local fans. This new agreement demonstrates our commitment to South Asia as we seek to entertain audiences across more platforms, and further strengthens the scale of our regional business as a whole.”
Ferzad Palia, Head – SVOD & International Business, Viacom18, said: “JioCinema has become the biggest platform for live sports. We are now on a mission to build the most magnetic destination for entertainment for all Indians.
“The strategic partnership with Warner Bros Discovery is a big milestone in our journey to offer the best of Hollywood content to our elite consumers. We believe that Warner Bros Discovery sets the global standards for premium content and this partnership allows us to create the best and the most comprehensive destination for our users.”
Source: Deadline
