JioHotstar has faced, and continues to face, a barrage of complaints from its dissatisfied user base regarding its coverage of the ongoing India vs. England 2025 Test Series (also known as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy). Beyond technical glitches, poor video quality, and unimpressive graphics, the platform’s commentary has come under significant criticism for being subpar.
The Hindi commentary, in particular, has drawn the ire of many users. Viewers believe the quality is extremely poor, with some accusing the commentary team of straying from match analysis and instead indulging in irrelevant cricketing anecdotes or unnecessary chatter.
Now, JioHotstar’s English commentary is also under fire. One of the most frequently raised concerns relates to the pre-show. Viewers often see anchors speaking with cricket experts either from a studio in India or remotely via headphones and microphones. Many believe the experience would be greatly improved if JioHotstar had sent more anchors to England to offer on-ground coverage and elevate the quality of English commentary.
Additionally, users have pointed out that JioHotstar is outsourcing a significant portion of its commentary from Sky Sports, which has led to poor audio quality and an overall degraded viewing experience.
The quality of English commentary on JioHotstar has been criticized as well, with many viewers demanding a direct stream of Sky Sports’ original commentary instead.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s commentary has received particular backlash, with many viewers considering him ill-suited for the role.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>And are they so short on money that they have to ask their pre/post show anchor to do live commentary? And the guy sitting at home doing commentary, his voice is literally echoing. We are not paying you to watch ads during keys moment and poor quality content <a href=”https://twitter.com/JioHotstar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JioHotstar</a> Fix it!</p>— Sparsh Bhasin (@sparshbhasin18) <a href=”https://twitter.com/sparshbhasin18/status/1944005425277669702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”><a href=”https://twitter.com/JioHotstar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JioHotstar</a> pls can you give us the original sky sports commentary feed or at least it as an option? This interruption with your own English commentary team which is sub par is very disappointing. We want discerning analysis and that’s not what we get with your English team</p>— Ashwin Sekar (@SekarAshwin) <a href=”https://twitter.com/SekarAshwin/status/1944001718158864678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”><a href=”https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@StarSportsIndia</a>, <a href=”https://twitter.com/JioHotstar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JioHotstar</a> for heaven's sake, please stop superimposing your substandard commentary on the original Sky commentary for this <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvINDTest?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#ENGvINDTest</a> series. You spoilt the commentary experience for the BGT & you are doing it again. Half an hour of low quality every session</p>— Soumya Ghoshal (@SoumyaGhoshal4) <a href=”https://twitter.com/SoumyaGhoshal4/status/1943719011381809534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Someone please let me know how do I watch <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#ENGvIND</a> on the Sony Network in India. <br>The JioHotstar absolutely sucks in commentary!</p>— Vinit Agarwal (@ag1_vinit) <a href=”https://twitter.com/ag1_vinit/status/1943712676187640072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”><a href=”https://twitter.com/JioHotstar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JioHotstar</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#ENGvIND</a> <br>Why do you have to bring the idiot <a href=”https://twitter.com/sanjaymanjrekar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@sanjaymanjrekar</a> for the commentary? He has nothing constructive to contribute, goes in different tangents while commentating.</p>— sumanth kumar Gandhe (@skgandhe) <a href=”https://twitter.com/skgandhe/status/1943715031113240677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”><a href=”https://twitter.com/JioHotstar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JioHotstar</a> why do you still engage Manjrekar into commentary, which will be either switched language or muted commentary as I am doing so, get some players who truly deserves, <br><br>PS:I am not considering this Manjrekar a cricket player</p>— abhee (@abhee20) <a href=”https://twitter.com/abhee20/status/1943999682134339702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Commentary is a vital part of the cricket viewing experience. If both Hindi and English commentary are consistently seen as off-topic, uninsightful, or simply irritating, it can seriously impact viewer enjoyment. The backlash toward Manjrekar only adds to the discomfort.
Cricket is arguably the most popular sport in India, and live matches draw massive audiences. Poor coverage of a high-profile series like India vs. England damages JioHotstar’s reputation as a dependable sports broadcaster.
The criticism about not sending more anchors to England, relying instead on studio-based presenters or outsourced commentary, suggests a cost-cutting approach that has adversely affected the overall viewer experience.
These complaints reflect basic execution problems that directly undermine JioHotstar’s value proposition for live sports, especially cricket. If not addressed swiftly and effectively, this wave of negative feedback could severely hamper the platform’s growth, profitability, and long-term standing in the fiercely competitive Indian OTT market. Stay tuned for more updates.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
