Jio Star declared 5 FTA channels in new ROI (2025)

Jio Star, the newly formed entity from the merger of Star India and Viacom18, has announced its updated Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) for 2025. it reflects a strategic move to broaden accessibility and comply with regulatory frameworks outlined by TRAI. Offering FTA channels will significantly increase viewership, especially in urban areas. With a larger audience base, Jio Star can leverage increased ad revenue to offset the absence of subscription fees. As part of this update, Jio Star has introduced five Free-to-Air (FTA) channels. These Jio Star FTA channels are –

Declaring FTA channels may give Jio Star an edge over competitors by expanding its footprint in the non-subscription segment. So the Agreements with DD Free Dish and other free TV platforms will need to align with their FTA strategy. Source: Official Jio Star Website

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What is the FTA channel? –

A Free-to-Air Channel/FTA tag is defined as an available channel declared as such by the broadcaster, for which no fee is to be paid by the distributor and viewers. Recently TRAI has mandated all broadcasters to clarify their TV channel as FTA or Paid, where paid means the channel will be available on Pay TV platforms and FTA means the channel will be available FREE on Pay TV platforms and other free-to-air or FREE TV platforms.