JioHotstar unveils new AI features to enhance viewer experience

During the Reliance Industries' 48th AGM, Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm unveiled a new voice-enabled search assistant, Riya for Jio Hotstar that aims to improve content discovery on the service.

Another feature introduced was Voice Print that utilises AI voice cloning and lip-sync technology to enable people to watch content in their own language.

"For the first time, on the JioHotstar App, you will be able to enjoy sports and entertainment in your favourite Indian language, without losing the magic of the original performance...Whether it is a cricket match or a blockbuster movie, you can now watch it in your own language, in the most natural and authentic way," Ambani said.

Besides, JioHotstar is also rolling out JioLenZ feature that allows users to explore multiple viewing options with a single click. In addition, the company is enhancing its immersive cricket viewing experience, Maxview, with new upgrades such as multiple camera angles, instant highlights, language options, and live scorecards, on the same screen, accessible with a simple swipe.

JioHotstar is a streaming service formed by the merger of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar.

JioHotstar crosses 600 million within three months

During his presentation, Ambani said that Jio Hotstar has brought over 600 million users on board within three months, including more than 75 million connected televisions.

Of these, around 300 million are paying subscribers, making JioHotstar the world's second-largest streaming service, all achieved within India, Ambani said.

"With a 34 percent TV market share – equal to the next three networks combined – we are well on our path to serve a billion screens across mobile, TV, and connected devices," Ambani said.

JioStar offers over 3.2 lakh hours of content, which is six times more than the next two streaming platforms combined, with more than 30,000 hours added every year, he added.