Warner Bros. Discovery Partners with Viacom18 to Distribute HBO, Max Content in India
JioCinema is having quite a week. It was announced on April 24 that the over-the-top (OTT) streaming service based in India had secured the rights to stream Indian Premier League cricket games for free, and now its parent company Viacom18 has secured a new distribution agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a report from Deadline.
The deal will allow JioCinema to distribute content from HBO, WBD’s soon-to-be-relaunched streaming platform Max, and other Warner Bros. titles in India. The pact means that this content will no longer be distributed by Disney+ Hotstar, which was WBD’s previous partner for offering its titles on the subcontinent.
“Warner Bros Discovery’s brands are incredibly popular across India, and we are pleased to partner with Viacom18 to bring our premium HBO, Max Original and Warner Bros. content to local fans,” said Clement Schwebig, WBD’s President, India, Southeast Asia and Korea. “This new agreement demonstrates our commitment to South Asia as we seek to entertain audiences across more platforms, and further strengthens the scale of our regional business as a whole.”
The new content from WBD will be available on JioCinema starting in May. Titles like “The Last of Us,” “Succession,” “House of the Dragon” and many more will be available to start streaming immediately. Future titles bound for Max include a new TV series adaptation of the “Harry Potter” books, a new series set in the universe of “The Big Bang Theory,” and much more.
“JioCinema has become the biggest platform for live sports,” said Ferzad Palia, Head of SVOD & International Business, Viacom18. “We are now on a mission to build the most magnetic destination for entertainment for all Indians. The strategic partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery is a big milestone in our journey to offer the best of Hollywood content to our elite consumers. We believe that Warner Bros. Discovery sets the global standards for premium content and this partnership allows us to create the best and the most comprehensive destination for our users.”
The move to expand into India will give WBD a large new audience for Max, the streaming platform that will combine HBO Max and most of discovery+’s programming when it launches on May 23. JioCinema should be an effective platform for drawing in users, as well; the platform draws huge viewership for its IPL matches, with one early-April contest fetching over 20 million viewers.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.