JioHotstar, the popular streaming platform blending Jio’s telecom might with Hotstar’s entertainment catalog, is grappling with a major outage, leaving millions of users across India unable to access movies, TV shows, and live sports. Reports flooding social media platforms like X paint a picture of widespread disruption, with users encountering 'Network error" messages and a mysteriously missing search icon.
The outage, which began gaining traction in the early hours of Wednesday, has sparked a wave of frustration online. One X user vented, “What the heck happened to @JioHotstar? No search button or anything there, is everyone having this issue or just me?” Another posted a screenshot with the caption, “@JioHotstar down again? ‘Something went wrong’ every time I try to play anything!”
Several users report that the search icon has vanished from both the mobile app and website, while attempts to stream content trigger a 'Network error' alert with the subtext, "Unable to connect to JioHotstar. There could be a problem with your network connection." The downtime has hit hard during peak viewing hours, disrupting access to live cricket matches, popular OTT originals, and ongoing TV series, leaving fans fuming. On Instagram, users shared blank-screen screenshots with hashtags like #JioHotstarDown and #FixItNow, amplifying the outage’s reach.
JioHotstar has acknowledged the issue, with an official statement released, “Due to some unforeseen technical issue, some of our users may have issues while streaming content or accessing the platform. Appreciate your patience while we work to resolve the issue. We regret the inconvenience caused.”
The disruption mirrors past outages, often linked to maintenance or simultaneous user surges. For now, India’s streaming enthusiasts are left refreshing their screens, hoping for a resolution before the next big match or episode drops.
