JioCinema has launched a new annual subscription plan priced at Rs 299. This plan aims to offer an economical option for users to enjoy ad-free content in 4K resolution. The new plan offers significant savings compared to the monthly subscription, which costs Rs 29 per month.
The Rs 299 annual plan is currently available at a 50 per cent discount as an introductory offer. However, after the first year, the price will increase to Rs 599. While an annual plan for individual users has been introduced, the company has yet to roll out a similar option for family users, who currently have only a monthly plan available at Rs 89 per month.
Sports content, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), remains accessible for free through Jio’s ad-supported tier. The premium plan from JioCinema includes access to a wide range of ad-free premium content, excluding sports and live content which will still feature ads.
Over the past few months, JioCinema has secured several high-profile partnerships, including deals with HBO and Paramount. The platform will offer content from international studios in multiple languages such as Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, and Bengali.
Subscribers to the premium plans can also download content for offline viewing. JioCinema's pricing strategy places it well below its competitors. For instance, Netflix’s mobile-only subscription costs Rs 149 per month, while Amazon Prime Video is priced at Rs 299 per month or Rs 1,499 per year.
This competitive pricing is likely to attract a large number of subscribers looking for affordable streaming options. In comparison, Netflix recently added 9.33 million new subscribers to its platform in the first quarter of 2024, marking a significant surge in its global user base. This growth comes in the wake of the streaming giant's aggressive crackdown on password sharing.