JioStar Q2 profit drops 13.2% to INR 1,147 crore as margins contract. JioStar's net profit declined 13.2 per cent year-on-year to INR 1,147 crore in Q2 FY27, despite a 10.1 per cent rise in operating revenue to INR 6,806 crore. Operating EBITDA fell 10.5 per cent, with margins contracting 600 basis points. JioHotstar averaged 440 million monthly active users, supported by growth in viewership and subscriptions. * Published On Oct 31, 2026 at 12:01 PM IST Highlights. * JioStar's net profit drops 13.2 per cent in Q2 FY27 despite revenue growth. * Active subscribers in overseas markets grow by 30 per cent post-relaunch. * New payment feature boosts incremental payment initiations by 10 per cent. JioStar's net profit fell 13.2 per cent year-on-year to INR 1,147 crore in the September quarter, even as revenue from operations grew 10.1 per cent to INR 6,806 crore, according to Reliance Industries 'Q2 FY27 results. The media and entertainment business had reported a profit after tax of INR 1,322 crore in the year-ago quarter. Gross revenue rose 9.8 per cent to INR 7,944 crore from INR 7,232 crore. Revenue growth was led by subscription income and digital entertainment advertising, despite a weak advertising environment, RIL said. Profitability, however, weakened. EBITDA from operations declined 10.5 per cent to INR 1,372 crore, while the operating EBITDA margin contracted 600 basis points to 22.1 per cent from 28.1 per cent. Total EBITDA, including investment income, fell 13.6 per cent to INR 1,502 crore. Investment income declined to INR 130 crore from INR 205 crore. JioHotstar averaged around 440 million monthly active users during the quarter, up 10 per cent year-on-year. Entertainment watch-time increased more than 15 per cent, driven by performance across Hindi and regional markets. The company cited 'India Ke Top 1 per cent', 'Khatron Ke Khiladi', 'Hustle Season 5' and 'Bhojpuri Bawaal' among the shows during the quarter. Its Tadka offering added close to 100 shows across sports, reality and other genres. Active subscriber volumes in Singapore, the UK and Canada grew around 30 per cent following the platform's relaunch in these markets in September. JioStar said an average connected TV viewer consumed three times as much content as a mobile viewer. It also extended monthly CTV access of up to two hours to users on mobile phone plans. During the quarter, JioHotstar introduced "Pay Kisi Aur Se", or "Ask Others to Pay", allowing subscribers to ask friends or family to complete payments on their behalf. The company said the feature generated a 10 per cent increase in incremental payment initiations. The six editions of 'Bigg Boss' collectively reached more than 90 million viewers on JioHotstar in their first three weeks. 'Resort' became the platform's highest-watched show, while 'Pritam & Pedro', directed by Rajkumar Hirani, was its most successful short-running series, according to the company. JioStar's sports portfolio included the England-India cricket series, Wimbledon 2026, the US Open 2026 and the Premier League 2026-27 season. The company said the England-India series was the biggest bilateral overseas series on JioHotstar. It also extended commerce integrations to Wimbledon, the US Open and the Premier League beyond cricket. * Published On Oct 31, 2026 at 12:01 PM IST

JioHotstar launches StreamToCart Ads with Instamart. The format lets viewers browse products and add them to their cart through an on-screen overlay during video breaks, without pausing playback or leaving the player. 27 Oct 2026 16:10 IST JioHotstar has launched StreamToCart Ads, a shoppable advertising format powered by Instamart that allows viewers to browse products and add them to cart within the streaming window. The format is designed to allow viewers to interact with a native overlay during video breaks, browse products and build their cart without pausing playback or leaving the streaming player. StreamToCart Ads bring product discovery and purchase into the same viewing experience, linking video advertising with commerce. The format is intended to help brands track actions such as add-to-cart events alongside advertising metrics. Bhaskar Ramesh, head- Entertainment Sales, Digital at JioStar said: "JioHotstar continues to push the boundaries of what premium video advertising can deliver, innovating at the intersection of content, technology and commerce. With StreamToCart Ads, Pocket Aces is transforming the ad break into an opportunity for viewers to discover and purchase products seamlessly within their viewing experience. This brings brand storytelling and measurable business outcomes closer than ever, enabling marketers to combine the scale and impact of premium content with the immediacy of commerce, all within a single screen." The format comes as brands increasingly look to connect upper-funnel video advertising with lower-funnel commerce. According to the company, viewers can continue watching content while interacting with the shopping experience. JioHotstar said the format can be used across categories including FMCG, packaged foods, beauty and consumer electronics. It will also allow marketers to track the journey from an impression to a real-time add-to-cart event. The launch is linked to the growing use of quick-commerce platforms in India. A recent study by Datum Intelligence cited by JioHotstar found that half of online shoppers order at least five times a month through quick-commerce platforms, including for planned restocks and spontaneous purchases. JioHotstar's internal data shows that 83% of its viewers identify as active shopping enthusiasts, while 60% of platform-driven conversions originate from new and dormant shoppers. The company is using Instamart's commerce infrastructure to connect these viewers with products during streaming. The launch adds a commerce layer to JioHotstar's video advertising offering, bringing product discovery and shopping into the streaming environment.

OTT this week: Akka, Baththa and an uncut Obsession. Netflix, JioHotstar and ZEE5 close October with Keerthy Suresh's Akka, Vijay Sethupathi's Baththa, an uncut horror hit and more. The last week of October is delivering a genuine multilingual rush for streaming audiences, with major titles from Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi cinema arriving alongside international series. Between October 26 and November 1, Netflix, JioHotstar and ZEE5 are all adding films and shows that range from a female-led gangster saga to an uncut horror version and a familiar YouTube comedy. The headline releases at a glance. The week's biggest series is Akka, the YRF Entertainment-produced Hindi gangster drama that pairs Keerthy Suresh and Radhika Apte. Directed and written by Dharmaraj Shetty, the Netflix series is set in the fictional kingdom of Pernuru and follows a matriarchal order whose hold on crime and politics is challenged by an outsider. Tanvi Azmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Anshuman Pushkar and Monica Panwar fill out the ensemble. For South Indian cinema fans, Vijay Sethupathi's Baththa arrives on Netflix on October 29. Directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan and set in 1980s North Chennai, the Tamil gangster comedy-drama follows a feared criminal whose encounter with a young boy brings out a softer side. The film, which released in theatres on October 1, also features Lijomol Jose and Master Sai Prithviraj, with music by Sai Abhyankkar. JioHotstar is countering with Obsession: The Original Uncut Version on October 30. The American supernatural horror thriller, written and directed by Curry Barker, stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette. It will stream in English and Hindi from 7 PM IST, giving Indian viewers a version without the violent and graphic cuts made for its Indian theatrical release. Other films arriving on October 30 include the Hindi family comedy-drama Meethe Mein Kya Hai, the Telugu investigative thriller SI Yugandhar and the Malayalam family drama Avaraachan & Sons. ZEE5, meanwhile, premieres the Telugu investigative thriller Rudravanam PS the same day. Why this week works for cross-industry fans. The slate is built for viewers who move between languages. Netflix is releasing Baththa, SI Yugandhar and Avaraachan & Sons with multiple Indian-language options, and several titles have announced Kannada and Malayalam audio tracks. The week also brings the South Korean supernatural series Dead-End Job and the South African festive comedy How to Ruin Diwali on Netflix, so the menu feels genuinely global. For nostalgia and comedy viewers, Bhuvan Bam's Dhindora Season 1 lands on Netflix on October 28. The eight-episode show, originally released on YouTube in 2021, revolves around a middle-class man whose ₹11 crore lottery win creates chaos for his family. It is a re-release of the first season, not a second-season premiere, which is worth knowing before you press play. What to queue by mood. * For a crime saga with a matriarchal twist, start with Akka on Netflix on October 30. * For a Halloween watch, stream Obsession: The Original Uncut Version on JioHotstar from 7 PM IST on October 30. * For a 1980s Chennai gangster story, watch Baththa on Netflix from October 29. * For light festive comedy, try Dhindora Season 1 on Netflix or Meethe Mein Kya Hai. * For a thriller, pick SI Yugandhar on Netflix or Rudravanam PS on ZEE5. The key for viewers is to check audio and subtitle options in the app before starting, because availability can differ by title and region. With this many premieres landing on the same dates, the final week of October is shaping up as a strong streaming close to the month.