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Why IPL 2025 Could Be the Most Profitable Season Ever for Jio

Why IPL 2025 Could Be the Most Profitable Season Ever for Jio

Vipul Agrawal
April 09, 2025

IPL has always been big business.

But this year, JioStar isn’t just broadcasting the tournament — they’re rewriting the rules of sports streaming in India.

100 Crore Viewers: Can They Pull It Off?

Last year, IPL reached 55 crore people across TV and digital.

JioStar wants to push that number to 100 crore. That’s nearly every second Indian.

Where will these extra viewers come from?

Jio’s aggressive data penetration: With cheap internet, they’ve built the infrastructure to bring in millions more.
Bundled TV + digital rights: JioHotstar removes the divide between TV and streaming.
Regional focus: More vernacular content = deeper reach.

This isn’t an optimistic projection.

It’s a calculated expansion — a push to turn IPL into a national media event at a scale we haven’t seen before.

₹5,000 Crore in Ad Revenue: The Strategy Behind It

JioStar’s ad revenue target for IPL 2025 is ₹5,000 crore — 25% higher than last year. Big brands are already on board:

- Coca-Cola

- SBI

- PhonePe

- Kent

- Campa

But the real move is small and medium businesses.

JioStar is actively pitching IPL ad slots to SMBs through roadshows, promising them a spot in the same lineup as legacy brands. The idea is simple:

Lower ad entry points → More advertisers
More advertisers → Higher revenue
Higher revenue → Pricing control over the entire IPL advertising ecosystem

They’re scaling IPL’s ad model the way Google scaled digital advertising — by making it accessible.

The JioHotstar Paywall: Smart Move or Risky Bet?

JioHotstar is switching from free IPL streaming to a paid model:

- Free trial, then ₹149/month

- Jio users might get bundled access

This is a shift.

Indian audiences resist paying for content.

But JioStar is betting that IPL’s pull is strong enough to drive paid subscriptions.

Even if 5-10% convert, that’s a massive direct revenue stream on top of ads.

This also helps advertisers:

Paying users = higher engagement (less mindless scrolling, more focused viewership)
Better audience segmentation → Targeted ad placements

It’s an attempt to train Indian audiences to pay for premium sports content. Whether it works or not will define the future of sports streaming in India.

JioStar’s Endgame: Monopoly, Not Just IPL

The real play isn’t just IPL.

JioStar is locking up Indian sports media.

- IPL? Check.

- ICC event rights? Check.

- Formula 1 via Viacom18? Check.

By controlling distribution, they control advertising, pricing, and audience behavior. This isn’t just about this season — it’s about owning the future of sports broadcasting in India.

What This Means for Businesses

For brands, this is a critical moment:

100 crore viewers = massive reach
More accessible ad slots = new opportunities for SMBs
A shift in streaming economics that could shape digital advertising for years

JioStar is turning IPL into more than a cricket tournament.

It’s a testing ground for how Indians consume content, pay for it, and engage with advertising.

The question now is — will audiences accept the shift or push back against the paywall?