JioHotstar Faces User Backlash Over '100 Ads' During Streaming
Bigg Boss personality Bandagi Kalra criticized JioHotstar for an excessive number of ads and poor audio during her streaming of 'Dhurandhar 2: Revenge.' Her social media post highlighted rising user frustration with the increasing presence of advertisements on streaming platforms. This incident reflects broader user sentiment against ad-supported streaming models being adopted by various platforms.
Key Takeaways
- Bandagi Kalra reported an estimated '100 ads' and poor audio quality while streaming 'Dhurandhar 2: Revenge' on JioHotstar.
- Kalra's post indicated ad breaks were long enough for viewers to 'forget which movie or scene' they were watching.
- She expressed a preference for Netflix, implying a superior, ad-free viewing experience on that platform.
- Public reaction to Kalra's post indicated a broader user dissatisfaction with the growing presence of ads on streaming services.
Why It Matters
This incident underscores a growing tension between streaming platforms' monetization strategies and user experience expectations. As more services adopt ad-supported tiers, the frequency and duration of advertisements are becoming critical pain points, risking subscriber churn and negative brand perception. For platforms like JioHotstar, effectively balancing ad revenue with viewer tolerance is crucial. Moving forward, the industry should monitor how platforms adjust ad loads and tiers, and how user sentiment influences subscription decisions and competitive positioning.
Additional Context
JioHotstar has faced sustained criticism regarding its ad load and streaming experience, particularly from premium subscribers, according to reports from early 2025 and 2026. A key point of contention arose in July 2025 when premium users reported ads embedded in offline downloaded content, a feature previously marketed as ad-free (News Proton, July 2025). This move, occurring after the full integration of JioHotstar and Disney+ Hotstar under Reliance's JioStar banner, was perceived as a 'bait-and-switch' by many users who paid for uninterrupted viewing (News Proton, July 2025).
Complaints extended beyond offline content, with premium subscribers noting ads outside of live sports events, despite their plans promising an ad-free experience for non-live content (Binged, March 2025). Users reported frequent interruptions during movies and shows, sometimes as many as four ads back-to-back or '15 minutes of ads' for a two-hour movie (M9 News, November 2025; M9 News, July 2025). This excessive ad frequency has led to comparisons with platforms like Netflix, which maintain an ad-free premium model, and SonyLiv, which is praised for fewer disruptions (M9 News, July 2025).
The dissatisfaction has spurred discussions about consumer protection, with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) receiving over 5,000 complaints in July 2025 alleging unfair practices and lack of transparency regarding subscription terms (News Proton, July 2025). Analysts suggest JioHotstar's strategy aims to maximize ad impressions for revenue but risks alienating its premium subscriber base, who represent a significant portion of its subscription revenue (News Proton, July 2025). The industry is watching whether this backlash will prompt JioHotstar to refine its ad strategy and communication or if users will progressively shift to competitors offering a more seamless experience.
Read full article at freepressjournal.in
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