JioStar widens ‘a-la-carte’ lane, takes more must-have regionals beyond Rs 19 bouquet cap

New Delhi: JioStar has further expanded the number of channels sitting outside bouquets, after experimenting with two channels last year when the network first pushed select South GECs above the bouquet-eligibility ceiling.

The new reference interconnect offer (RIO) released last week carries more big-ticket regional general entertainment channels into a higher MRP band.

Under the tariff framework, only pay channels with an MRP of Rs 19 or less are permitted to be part of a bouquet. Channels priced above Rs 19 cannot be bundled and must be offered separately.

From a 2025 “test” to a 2026 scale-up

In 2025, JioStar broke the Rs 19 ceiling by pricing the SD versions of Colors Kannada and Maa TV at Rs 25. That pricing effectively made the two channels a-la-carte-only and changed how packs could be built in those markets.

Once a channel sits above Rs 19, no bouquet can legally carry it. The channel has to be sold as a standalone add-on, or not sold at all.

In 2026, JioStar has widened the same play. Colors Kannada has been priced at Rs 30. Maa TV has been priced at Rs 30. Asianet has moved to Rs 30 from Rs 19, and Vijay has moved to Rs 30 from Rs 19. Star Jalsha has been priced at Rs 25.

If the 2025 ceiling-break move had caused serious distribution disruption, the more likely response would have been a retreat to Rs 19 to remain bouquet-eligible.

Instead, JioStar has expanded the list and raised the band from Rs 25 to Rs 30, suggesting confidence that the trade-off is working in-market.

The bouquet impact is visible inside JioStar’s own packs

A direct way to see the consequence is to compare bouquet compositions and entry points.

In 2025, JioStar’s All South Lite Kannada bouquet included Asianet and Vijay in the bundle line-up.

In 2026, the comparable All Lite South bouquet includes Asianet Plus and Vijay Super, not Asianet and Vijay.

The bouquet remains marketable, but it is built around the next channel in the stack. The primary channel is kept outside as a separate a-la-carte proposition.

DPO list prices also move up sharply

Even if the industry admits that realised rates are driven by negotiated deals, the “on-paper” escalation is visible in JioStar’s own list prices to DPOs.

Asianet’s DPO list price rises to Rs 24 from Rs 15.20. Vijay’s DPO list price rises to Rs 24 from Rs 15.20. Colors Kannada’s DPO list price rises to Rs 24 from Rs 20. Maa TV’s DPO list price rises to Rs 24 from Rs 20.

This does not prove the exact uplift in distribution receipts, since the sector runs on agreements. But it does show where JioStar is trying to reset the negotiating anchor.

Industry veterans have long argued that the MRP regime often functions as an anchor in negotiations rather than a strict consumer billing reality.

Even then, moving a channel out of bouquet eligibility changes the bargaining geometry, because the channel cannot be tucked into a deal-driven bouquet construct.

BestMediaInfo wrote in 2025 that breaking the Rs 19 ceiling was not just a hike. It was a structural move that forced a-la-carte-only availability in key markets.

The 2026 rate card proves that as more flagship regional GECs are now beyond Rs 19, and the Rs 25 “exception” looks like it is graduating into a broader Rs 30 band.