JioCinema, the digital entertainment arm of Reliance, has secured a landmark deal with The Pokemon Company. This move is set to bolster the streaming platform’s content offerings and further intensify its rivalry with Disney’s Hotstar and other streaming services.

What Happened: As per a Reuters report, the agreement, concluded earlier this month, grants JioCinema exclusive streaming rights to more than 1,000 episodes and nearly 20 movies from the popular Japanese anime series in India.

The content will be dubbed into three Indian languages to maximize audience reach. However, the financial details of the deal remain undisclosed.

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While both Viacom18, the entertainment venture of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani that operates JioCinema, and The Pokemon Company, a subsidiary of video game giant Nintendo, have refrained from commenting on the development, it’s clear that this deal is part of Ambani’s larger strategy to expand JioCinema’s footprint in the $7 billion Indian streaming market.

Why It Matters: This development follows JioCinema’s strategic shift towards mid-sized web shows, which, as reported earlier, has been instrumental in capturing the Indian audience’s attention. Shows like “Taali” and “Asur 2” have already garnered significant viewership, signalling the success of this approach.

Moreover, the Pokemon deal comes as reports of a multi-billion dollar agreement between Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group and Disney are making rounds.

Given these developments, it’s clear that JioCinema is leaving no stone unturned to compete with the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Disney’s Hotstar. The addition of Pokemon content, along with other children’s programming, thereby diversifying its portfolio, is expected to further consolidate its position in the booming Indian streaming market.

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