Is JioHotstar Available in the USA? How to Watch It in 2026

Indian TV in the US is split across several services. For example, Willow has the cricket, Hulu has part of the old Hotstar library, and Sling sells some of the channels. In contrast, JioHotstar puts Bigg Boss, Star Plus serials, and India’s home cricket in one app, yet its website shows US visitors a notice saying it isn’t available.

In fact, even its first launches outside India, in September 2026, skipped the US. As a result, watching JioHotstar in the USA currently means connecting through an Indian IP address, and the account itself requires an Indian phone number. The four steps come first.

Is JioHotstar Available in the USA?

No. JioHotstar isn’t sold in the US, and no US launch date has been announced. The service launched in India in February 2025, when JioCinema and Hotstar merged. It launched abroad in 2026:

• September 2, 2026: the UK, Canada, and Singapore, where JioHotstar replaced the old Hotstar apps
• October 6, 2026: the Middle East and North Africa, as a section of the Starzplay app

JioStar says it will add more countries over time, though it hasn’t named them. Hotstar’s former US service, on the other hand, closed in November 2021, and its shows moved to Hulu. The JioHotstar app is still listed in the US App Store and on Google Play.

However, the Indian catalog plays only on an Indian IP address. JioStar’s terms also don’t allow viewers to hide their location, and its help center says plans bought in India are meant for use in India.

How to Watch JioHotstar in the USA With a VPN

Connect your VPN to an Indian server, then open the JioHotstar app or website and sign in. That’s because JioHotstar checks your IP address, and with an Indian IP address, it shows the same catalog and live channels as in India.

In our tests, JioHotstar worked on Indian servers from NordVPN, Proton VPN, and Surfshark, and streams played from our test PC in Europe. From the US, a fast Indian server also helps keep streams smooth.

On a TV, install the VPN on the device you watch JioHotstar on, such as a Fire TV Stick or an Apple TV.

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Signing Up for JioHotstar From the US

A JioHotstar account requires an Indian mobile number. That’s because sign-up works by SMS: you enter the number, and JioHotstar texts a one-time code to it. From the US, that code arrives only if the Indian SIM has international roaming or Wi-Fi Calling enabled.

After that, a signed-in phone can also sign in a TV or browser by scanning the QR code on screen. Payment also goes through Indian methods:

• UPI, which NRIs with NRE or NRO bank accounts can use with a US mobile number
• Indian debit and credit cards, or net banking
• Prepaid vouchers sold in India, redeemed with a code

Because of this, existing subscribers in India have it easiest. Their plan works from the US once the VPN is connected, with no new payment required.

JioHotstar Plans and Prices

JioHotstar sells three plans in India, and since January 2026, every plan comes in monthly, three-month, and annual versions.

	Mobile	Super	Premium
Monthly	₹79	₹149	₹299
3 months	₹149	₹349	₹699
Annual	₹499	₹1,099	₹2,199
Ads	Yes	Yes	Only during live content
Devices at once	1 phone	2	4
Top quality	HD	Full HD	4K

For a TV in the US, the Super plan is the cheapest one that streams beyond a phone. The Premium plan, in turn, removes ads from shows and adds 4K. JioHotstar’s new markets abroad have their own prices in local currency, but those plans aren’t offered to US customers.

What to Watch on JioHotstar This Season

Bigg Boss 20, hosted by Salman Khan, premiered on September 6, 2026. New episodes stream on JioHotstar at 9 p.m. IST, 90 minutes before they air on Colors TV. That’s 11:30 a.m. ET until November 1, 2026, and 10:30 a.m. ET after US clocks change. The cricket schedule then continues into 2027:

• India vs. Sri Lanka: three ODIs and three T20Is, December 13 to 27, 2026
• India vs. Zimbabwe: three ODIs, January 3 to 9, 2027
• India vs. Australia: five Tests, January 21 to March 3, 2027
• Women’s Premier League: January 14 to February 7, 2027
• IPL 2027: tentatively from March 10, 2027

In addition, the originals include Criminal Justice, Special Ops, and Aarya, alongside Koffee With Karan and Khatron Ke Khiladi. JioHotstar also streams Star Plus, Colors, Star Vijay, Asianet, and other live channels in more than 12 languages.

JioHotstar Alternatives in the US

Some of the same content does play on American services, though. Hulu has a Hotstar section with library titles such as Anupama, Koffee With Karan, and Special Ops, though it has no live channels or cricket. For cricket, ICC events stream in the US on Willow until 2027, and Willow also streamed IPL 2026.

For live Indian channels, on the other hand, Sling TV and YuppTV sell Indian packages on US plans. Our guide to Indian TV in the USA compares them, together with SonyLIV and ZEE5. Still, JioHotstar remains the home of Bigg Boss and of shows from Star Plus and Colors.

Can I Watch JioHotstar in the USA for Free?

Not with a free VPN. In our tests, the free versions of Windscribe and PrivadoVPN couldn’t unblock JioHotstar, and Proton VPN’s free plan doesn’t include India. Some Jio, Airtel, and Vi recharges and JioFiber or AirFiber plans include JioHotstar at no extra cost, but they require an Indian SIM or connection.

Our list of free VPNs for India explains what free plans can still do.

If JioHotstar Won’t Play

For the most part, problems come from the location JioHotstar detects or from the sign-in code. These fixes usually help:

• Reconnect to the Indian server for a new IP address, or try another Indian server if your VPN offers one.
• Delete cookies and cached data, then refresh the page, because the site can remember your US location from an earlier visit.
• Close and reopen the app after connecting to make it check your location again.
• Enable roaming or Wi-Fi Calling on the Indian SIM if the sign-in code doesn’t arrive.
• Update the VPN and JioHotstar apps to their latest versions.

Finally, for JioHotstar in other countries, see our JioHotstar abroad guide.

Best VPNs for JioHotstar in the USA

1. NordVPN: Best overall, with a fast Mumbai server
2. Proton VPN: Best for private streaming, backed by Swiss privacy law
3. Surfshark: Best value, with Delhi and Mumbai servers

1. NordVPN: Best Overall for JioHotstar

NordVPN unblocked JioHotstar on its Mumbai server, with no VPN warning. It lost only 10.2% of our speed there, leaving far more than a 4K stream requires. Split tunneling also lets your other apps keep a US connection while JioHotstar uses the Indian server.

The higher renewal price is the main downside, though the 27-month term delays it. Paid upfront for 27 months, NordVPN’s Basic plan comes to $3.49 a month ($94.23), and renewal costs $139.08 a year. A three-day free trial is also available on Android.

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2. Proton VPN: Best for Private Streaming

Proton VPN unblocked JioHotstar on its Indian server, and the shows played without problems. Speed was lower, at 104 Mbps from our 190 Mbps connection, but that’s still several times what 4K requires. If a stream buffers, try another Indian server. Its no-logs policy is also independently audited.

However, in our wider streaming tests, it couldn’t unblock a few services, such as Hulu and ITVX. For JioHotstar, though, that wasn’t an issue. Proton VPN’s two-year Plus plan costs $2.99 a month ($71.76 at checkout) and renews at $83.88 a year.

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3. Surfshark: Best Value

Surfshark has two Indian locations, Delhi and Mumbai, and it unblocked JioHotstar. Its Delhi server lost only 4.1% of our speed, even less than NordVPN’s Mumbai server, while its Mumbai server had a 10.5% speed loss. Across our wider streaming tests, it failed only on ITVX. One subscription also covers every phone and TV in the house, though JioHotstar’s own plan still limits how many devices stream at once.

However, connections sometimes took longer than on other VPNs. If a connection seems stuck, wait a few more seconds before reconnecting. Surfshark’s Starter plan is $2.49 a month for the first 27 months ($67.23 at checkout), with a $79 yearly renewal, which puts it among the best cheap VPNs we’ve tested.

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Conclusion

JioHotstar still isn’t sold in the US, and its first launches abroad didn’t change that. Still, the method itself is short: an Indian server, an account tied to an Indian mobile number, and an Indian way to pay. Sign-up requires the most effort: keep roaming or Wi-Fi Calling enabled on the Indian SIM until the code arrives.

We recommend NordVPN, which worked on its Mumbai server with no detection and kept most of our speed. Proton VPN and Surfshark also worked on their Indian servers. For other uses, compare the best VPNs we tested.

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