JioHotstar Unveils AI-Powered Innovations to Revolutionize Streaming Experience

Akash Ambani showcases JioHotstar innovations at Reliance AGM

JioStar is enhancing its JioHotstar platform with AI-driven innovations like RIYA, a voice-enabled search assistant, and Voice Print, which uses AI voice cloning for multilingual content. JioLenZ allows personalized viewing, while MaxView 3.0 upgrades the cricket viewing experience. JioStar, India's largest media and entertainment company, has unveiled a series of technology-driven innovations aimed at elevating the streaming experience on its platform JioHotstar through a blend of content, software and artificial intelligence (AI). At the 48th annual general meeting of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm and director on the board of JioStar, showcased four key features -- RIYA, Voice Print, JioLenZ and MaxView 3.0 -- which he said would transform how viewers discover and consume entertainment. Ambani described RIYA, the company's new voice-enabled search assistant, as a tool designed to make discovery effortless in a world where thousands of hours of content can feel overwhelming. "RIYA is built for the way you think and speak. Whether it is key moments from your favourite shows, highlight reels of your favourite players, or even a deep-dive match analysis, RIYA understands you. Just say what you want, across years, seasons and episodes, and RIYA will curate it for you. No more scrolling. No more searching. Just ask, and RIYA delivers," he said. He also unveiled Voice Print, which uses AI voice cloning and lip-sync technology to enable audiences to enjoy content in their preferred Indian language without losing the authenticity of the original performance. "With the power of AI voice cloning and lip-sync technology, your favourite stars will not just get dubbed. They will actually speak in your language, in their own voice, with perfect lip-sync on screen," Ambani said. The company also announced JioLenZ, which allows users to customise how they watch content with a single click. According to Ambani, JioLenZ adapts to personal preferences, offering multiple viewing options to enhance the overall experience. Building on its mobile-first innovation in cricket, JioStar introduced MaxView 3.0, an upgraded interface that puts multiple camera angles, instant highlights, language choices and live scorecards on the same screen. The features are designed to match the way users naturally hold their phones, making cricket viewing more immersive and intuitive. Ambani said these innovations reflect JioStar's strategy of combining content, software and AI to deliver a differentiated experience. "We are constantly pushing boundaries to give our customers a more elevated experience," he said. He added that JioStar today offers more than 3.2 lakh hours of content, six times more than the next two OTT platforms combined, with over 30,000 hours added annually. The launch of JioHotstar has brought in more than 600 million users within three months, including 75 million connected TV households. Of these, 300 million are paying subscribers, making JioHotstar the world's second-largest streaming platform, achieved entirely in India. Ambani said the milestone reflects the potential of the Indian market. On television, JioStar has captured a 34% market share, equal to the next three networks combined. "We are well on our path to serve a billion screens across mobile, TV and connected devices," he said, adding that JioStar would continue to expand across platforms and geographies.

JioHotstar is getting AI-powered voice assistant RIYA for content discovery, VoicePrint for multilingual viewing and more

JioHotstar has announced the introduction of new features aimed at enhancing the user experience at the 48th AGM (Annual General Meeting). The updates include an AI-powered voice assistant named RIYA and a technology called "Voice Print," which uses AI for voice cloning and lip-syncing. RIYA: A Voice-Enabled Content Search Assistant The new voice-enabled search assistant, RIYA, is designed to simplify how users find content. According to the company, navigating through thousands of hours of content can be a daunting task for consumers. RIYA addresses this by allowing users to use natural speech to search for specific content, seasons, or episodes. The assistant is built to understand human thought and speech patterns, curating content based on voice commands, thereby reducing the need for manual scrolling and searching. Voice Print: AI-Powered Dubbing and Localization Another significant feature, "Voice Print," is a new approach to multilingual content. This technology leverages AI voice cloning and lip-sync capabilities to enable viewers to watch sports and entertainment in their preferred Indian language. The company states that this feature aims to preserve the authenticity of the original performance. With Voice Print, an actor or commentator's voice will be cloned to speak in a different language, while maintaining their original vocal characteristics and perfectly synchronizing with their on-screen lip movements. This is intended to create a more natural and authentic viewing experience for content such as live cricket matches and movies. This is a new technology that gives users the ability to customize how they watch content and experience it from different angles. It offers multiple formats and perspectives within the same stream, providing personalized options for both sports and entertainment. This is an upgraded version of Jio's mobile-first cricket viewing feature MaxView. It is designed to provide a more interactive and immersive cricket experience by bringing multiple camera angles, live scorecards, instant highlights, and language choices onto a single screen. The announcement of these new features comes alongside data highlighting JioHotstar's rapid growth. The platform's content library is reported to contain over 3.2 lakh hours of content, with an additional 30,000 hours added annually. This content volume is stated to be significantly larger than that of its two closest competitors combined. The company also reported substantial user adoption, with 600 million users joining the app within three months of its launch. This included over 75 million connected TV users. With a reported 300 million paying subscribers, JioHotstar has become one of the world's largest streaming platforms.