Viewer interest in stories from southern India is rising sharply across films and series, driving a major content expansion strategy by JioHotstar.
The platform will invest Rs 4,000 crore in South focused content over the next five years and add 1,500 hours of fresh programming in the next 12 months. This move comes after a nearly 70 percent rise in watch time for South content, which is higher than the national average, according to Krishnan Kutty, head of cluster entertainment South at JioStar. He said South now creates content trends instead of following them, with audiences increasingly watching full series on the platform.
Kutty and Sushant Sreeram, chief marketing officer and head subscriber video on demand at JioStar, said the southern region has become one of the strongest growth engines for JioHotstar. It is leading in subscription depth, user retention and connected TV adoption. The platform recently announced 25 new South titles across originals, films and series.
This expansion comes as a global streaming giant announced a major acquisition to strengthen its premium English content presence in India. This could slightly impact English viewership on JioHotstar. At the same time, regional streaming platforms are increasing focus on local and niche genres to stand out. According to Ormax Media, user growth for streaming platforms slowed to 9.9 percent year on year, down from 13 to 14 percent in the previous period.
“We are very bullish on maintaining and even accelerating the momentum that we have seen both from audiences from the South, and also from the diversity and the kind of stories that have come out of the South on JioHotstar, over the next 12 18 months,” Kutty said.
Sreeram added that the platform is investing in new content formats. In the last 10 months, it has worked with over 500 writers, directors and showrunners. Nearly 75 percent of this year’s South originals chose JioHotstar as their launch platform.
JioStar has also signed a letter of intent with the Government of Tamil Nadu to support the state’s creative and production ecosystem. JioHotstar has 400 million users, over 3 lakh hours of content, coverage across all pin codes in India and more than 85 million connected TV devices.
Over 80 percent of Malayalam watch time now comes from outside Kerala. Fantasy films Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra and Mirai became the most watched movies on the platform in 2025. “Beyond films, Big Boss in the South has been a phenomenon,” Sreeram said.
Local advertisers in the South have increased by 50 percent in the last 10 months. The platform is also using artificial intelligence across production processes to improve efficiency.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.
