Game On: JioStar seeks 15% hike on IPL ad rates

The price hike across its offerings amounts to approximately 18%, making JioStar the broadcaster with the highest bouquet rates in the industry. Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI, now Culver Max) have increased their bouquet prices by about 12%.

A price revision has been made for its Hindi Star Value Pack (SVP) and the SVP Hindi Basic Pack for standard definition, setting the new rates at ₹110 each. This marks an 18% hike over the previous combined pricing of Star India and Viacom18’s individual Hindi base packs, which were earlier available at ₹60 and ₹34, respectively.

The revised packs offer an expansive content lineup, including general entertainment, movies, infotainment, kids’ programming, sports, and 19 news channels from Network18, such as News18 India, CNBC TV18, CNN News18, and regional news channels like News18 Bangla, News18 Gujarati, and News18 Tamil Nadu, catering to diverse linguistic and regional audiences across India.

JioStar’s revised pricing structure extends to its a-la-carte channels. Key offerings like Star Plus, Star Gold, and Colors Hindi have retained their premium rates of ₹19, while certain other popular channels have seen significant price changes. For instance, Star Bharat’s price increased from ₹12 to ₹15, and Star Plus HD rose from ₹22 to ₹25, reflecting a trend of upward revisions for high-demand channels.

Meanwhile, some channels witnessed price cuts aimed at attracting a broader viewership. Colors Cineplex’s price dropped from ₹19 to ₹15, while Star Utsav saw a steep reduction from ₹0.50 to ₹0.10, signaling JioStar’s intent to maintain competitive pricing for specific segments.

These revisions come amid broader shifts in JioStar’s channel pack strategies and highlight its efforts to balance premium offerings with value-driven options. Mediabrief