Jio is practically following in Apple’s footsteps, from starting with its own OTT platform to investing in studios. What made Jio’s entertainment wing an instant hit was the low pricing for OTT and understanding the taste of the theatrical audience.
While Apple took half a decade to figure it out, Jio did it in a couple of years, and now Jio Studio is reporting a gross of ₹700 Cr at the box office.
The formula to crack the Indian market doesn’t just lie in the content they create; it also involves consistency. Jio Studio has cracked the code in this regard, with 11 theatrical releases, 35 direct-to-digital releases, and 8 original web series. The resume looks strong for Jio Studio.
The most successful venture is its theatrical wing, as Jio Studios has produced eight consecutive hits, which can make any studio jealous.
Unlike most regional studios, Jio is suffusing the taste of audiences from all languages and genres. Though it has yet to enter the East and North Eastern markets, the rest of India has been influenced by Jio Studio.
Jio Studios is aggressively expanding beyond the Hindi market, targeting regional language films with notable successes like the Marathi hit Baipan Bhari Deva. Even Shaitaan kept the Hindi audience busy with a phenomenal box-office.
Their ventures into Tamil and Bengali cinema with projects like Thangalaan and Dawshom Awbotaar highlight a strategic focus on diverse markets. As part of India’s largest media conglomerate, Reliance’s extensive portfolio includes 63 TV channels and the rapidly growing OTT platform Jio Cinema, which reaches 225 million users monthly.
Reliance aims to dominate the media landscape through a joint venture with Disney, merging Viacom18 and Star India, backed by a ₹11,500 crore investment. If they don’t mess up big time, success awaits the studio.