As of July 19, 2025, JioStar — the joint venture between Reliance Industries and Walt Disney — reported a Q1 FY26 net profit of Rs 581 crore.
This marks a sharp rise from Rs 229 crore in the same quarter last year. The company also posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue, powered by the blockbuster Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
IPL 2025 set new records for reach and engagement. The tournament drew a cumulative audience of nearly 1.19 billion across TV and digital platforms.
Total watch-time was reported between 514 billion minutes (early measurement) and 840 billion minutes (full-season tally), proving that the engagement was sustained throughout the event.
Regional language viewership and female audiences grew significantly, boosting advertising and subscription revenues.
A key driver behind this success was Sanjog Gupta. Known for his expertise in sports and live experiences, he played a central role in shaping JioStar’s IPL strategy.
Under his leadership, IPL 2025 recorded 137 crore views and 2,186 crore minutes of watch-time on JioHotstar during the opening weekend alone.
The Reliance–Disney merger, finalized in late 2024, also gave JioStar a strong foundation. The combined platform consolidated premium cricket rights, strengthened distribution, and scaled up streaming operations.
This allowed for bundled subscription offers and tighter cost control, which amplified IPL’s profitability in Q1.
However, despite impressive numbers, JioStar’s Q1 surge is heavily IPL-dependent, raising doubts about sustained growth beyond one marquee event. The wide watch-time gap (514 vs 840 billion minutes) highlights measurement opacity, which could concern advertisers.
Converting IPL audiences into year-round users through non-cricket content remains the key challenge.
Looking ahead, JioStar faces the challenge of turning IPL’s seasonal success into year-round audience engagement. Sustaining regional language growth, building strong non-cricket content, and optimizing costs will be crucial.
