After the long-awaited merger between Viacom18 and Star India, the new company, Jio Star, has recently announced its pricing for television packages. These new prices are significantly higher than what viewers previously paid for individual packs. Jio Star has created a total of 83 different TV packages that include 143 channels, made up of 85 standard definition (SD) channels, 44 high definition (HD) channels, and 5 free-to-air channels.
For example, the new Star Value Pack (SVP) for Hindi channels is priced at Rs 110, which is an increase from the previous costs of Rs 59 and Rs 34 for Star India and Viacom18's Hindi packages, respectively. This new price reflects an 18 percent rise compared to the two companies' combined offerings before the merger. In this package, Jio Star provides 30 channels in various entertainment categories, including movies, children's shows, and sports.
In addition to channels from Star India and Viacom18, Jio Star also offers 19 news channels from Network18 and infotainment channels from a partnership between Network18 and A+E Networks.
It's important to note that Jio Star isn't the only company raising prices. Recently, Sony Pictures Networks and Zee Entertainment have also increased their basic package prices by over 10 percent. However, there is a possibility that these prices may be negotiated down by TV distributors to reduce the impact on consumers.
Jio Star now provides five free TV channels, including Star Utsav Movies, Colors Cineplex Bollywood, Colors Cineplex Superhits, and News18 India, along with Sports18 Khel. It's worth noting that four of these channels used to require a paid subscription, while Sports18 Khel has always been free.
After the merger, Jio Star became the biggest television broadcaster in India. It features popular channels like Star Plus, Colors, Star Gold, and Star Sports. Jio Star also holds the rights to broadcast major cricket tournaments, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and events organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This gives them a strong position in the market, allowing them to charge higher prices compared to other broadcasters.
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