Viacom18 completes merger of JioCinema and Voot OTT platforms

Viacom18 has nearly completed the merger of its two OTT platforms, JioCinema and Voot. Sources close to the company told businessline that the technology backend for both the OTT platforms has been completely integrated, and 90 per cent of Voot Select subscribers have transitioned to JioCinema.

The remaining 10 per cent of subscribers have not transitioned to JioCinema yet, although executives believe they will transition soon enough, “likely in the next couple of months.”

Viacom18 launched Voot in 2014, and later its paid premium service Voot Select entered the streaming business. Later, Reliance moved JioCinema, which was launched under its telecommunications business, “Jio” to Viacom18 in 2022.

In April 2023, when Viacom18 completed the scheme of a merger involving Reliance Industries, Bodhi Tree Systems and Paramount Global, it also integrated JioCinema into Viacom18.

Since then, JioCinema has become the front for all the marquee content under Viacom. Viacom streams the Indian Premier League under JioCinema, and all of the marquee English content, by HBO and NBC Universal, has been acquired under JioCinema.

Thus Viacom18 decided to merge the two OTT platforms, Voot and JioCinema.

Voot has been dissolved for all intents and purposes. A quick Google search for Voot directs one to the JioCinema website. Even on the App Store, only the JioCinema app is available.

Voot Select’s subscribers are being given the option to be onboarded onto JioCinema, executives said. The Hindu BusinessLine