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JioHotstar Partners with OpenAI, Integrates ChatGPT Into Searches
posted on by Adriana Hazra
CEO of Applications at OpenAI Fidji Simo claimed that “Traditionally, entertainment is a one-way experience where you passively consume content – AI completely changes that dynamic." While traditional media is defined to be a one-way experience, streaming services belong to the category of "New Media." Lev Manovich defined New Media in 2004 in the The New Media Reader journal as necessarily including "digital generative or interactive processes." Technology such as interactive CD-ROMs have existed since the 1980s. The technology would later be followed by other interactive disc formats such as DVDs as well as blogs, social networking websites, news websites, and streaming services.
The partnership will not only integrate ChatGPT into the JioHotstar search system but will also have ChatGPT recommend content links from JioHotstar off of its website. JioHotstar's catalogue will also "be surfaced within ChatGPT itself" according to Variety.
JioHotstar crossed 100 million paid subscribers in March 2025.
The merger of Reliance Industries Limited and The Walt Disney Company's media assets combined Reliance's JioCinema streaming service with Disney+ Hotstar, and launched the new JioHotstar streaming service in February 2025. The combined platform had 300,000 hours of content at launch and claimed a user base exceeding 500 million (including viewers of free content). Several anime titles that were previously on JioCinema are still available on the new app including seasons of Demon Slayer, Spy×Family, Tokyo Revengers, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, amongst others. JioCinema launched an Anime Hub content slate for premium subscribers in May 2024.
Disney+ Hotstar's limited selection of anime is available on the new application including the Overlord films, Tatami Time Machine Blues, and Aoashi. Following the initial announcement of the merger, the Disney+ Hotstar streaming service removed several anime titles including Dr. Stone, Heavenly Delusion, Summer Time Rendering, Black Clover, and more in January 2025.
The JioHotstar company operates under three separate leaderships: CEO of digital Kiran Mani, CEO of broadcast entertainment Kevin Vaz, and CEO of sports Sanjog Gupta.
21st Century Fox launched the Hotstar streaming service in February 2015. Disney India combined the service with its Disney+ streaming service in February 2020. The company had previously appointed Sunil Rayan as the president and head in June 2020.
The service exclusively streamed the television anime adaptation of Masakazu Ishiguro's Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyo) manga in India. It simulcasted the the television anime of Tomihiko Morimi's Tatami Time Machine Blues (Yojō-Han Time Machine Blues) novel in India and had titles such as Black Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall in its anime catalog.
Source: Variety (Naman Ramachandran)
