It’s India vs England. A Test series that should’ve been all about cover drives, close LBW calls, and fiery spells with the red ball. But for JioHotstar viewers, the real contest isn’t between bat and ball, it’s between cricket and ads.
Fans tuning in to catch highlights of the ongoing Test matches are finding themselves stuck in a different kind of innings, one dominated by advertisements. In some cases, users are reporting four ad breaks in just a 15-minute clip, totalling over five minutes of promotional content. That’s one-third of the highlight reel spent on things that have nothing to do with cricket.
But it’s not just about the ads. Viewers are also facing persistent issues with streaming quality. The classic “retry” button has become a familiar sight. Instead of enjoying a seamless viewing experience, users are juggling buffer screens, login issues, and playback errors, a far cry from the smooth Hotstar days many remember.
Ever since the platform transitioned from Disney+ Hotstar to JioHotstar, the viewing experience seems to be on a downward spiral. While Jio has promised innovation and broader reach, what users are getting instead is glitchy delivery wrapped in layers of aggressive advertising.
For a country that breathes cricket, this is more than a technical issue. It’s a disruption of something sacred. And if JioHotstar doesn’t course-correct soon, fans might start finding alternative, less frustrating ways to stay in the game.
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