JioHotstar and OpenAI have teamed up to revolutionize the way users interact with the popular streaming service in India. By integrating OpenAI’s technology into the JioHotstar app, users can now search for content using natural language instead of traditional menu navigation. This means that the nearly half a billion monthly users can now simply speak or type their requests, allowing for a more personalized and intuitive experience.
Gone are the days of manually searching for titles – now, users can describe a specific mood, scenario, or preference and receive tailored recommendations in response. This feature extends to live sports coverage as well, providing users with a conversational way to access match information, player data, and key moments in real time.
Not only does this partnership benefit JioHotstar users, but it also works in the opposite direction. JioHotstar’s extensive catalogue, which includes over 300,000 hours of programming in 19 languages, will now be integrated into ChatGPT. This means that users asking the chatbot for viewing suggestions will receive recommendations that directly link to relevant JioHotstar titles.
JioHotstar is part of JioStar, the Indian media conglomerate that was formed through the merger of Disney’s Star India and Reliance’s Viacom18. Uday Shankar, vice chair of JioStar, emphasized the transformative impact of AI on the entertainment industry, stating that the partnership with OpenAI will allow viewers to engage with content using their voice, creating a more personal and anticipatory entertainment experience.
Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI, highlighted the shift in the entertainment dynamic that AI brings, turning passive consumption into a more personalized and engaging experience. The rollout of these new features will be gradual, starting with a limited set of features before expanding to both on-demand and live formats.
By embedding a named AI assistant at the core of its product, JioHotstar is positioning itself as a leader in the Indian streaming market, where services are increasingly competing on intelligence and personalization rather than sheer library size. This partnership between JioHotstar and OpenAI represents a significant step towards reimagining the entertainment experience for users in India.
