JioHotstar launches signal-led commerce advertising; Instamart signs on as first partner

JioHotstar has introduced a signal-led commerce advertising capability, positioning it as an industry-first move aimed at enabling intent-driven audience engagement at scale. The new offering is designed to help brands identify and connect with high-intent consumers across the platform’s premium content ecosystem.

Quick commerce platform Instamart is the first partner to adopt the solution, marking the debut of this data-led advertising approach.

The capability moves beyond traditional demographic targeting by leveraging real purchase intent signals to deliver sharper audience segmentation. It enables brands to engage consumers based not just on what they watch, but on what they are likely to do next.


JioHotstar said the solution is built to support a full-funnel advertising approach, seamlessly integrating discovery, engagement and action within a single viewing journey.

Viewers can move from content consumption to product exploration through embedded call-to-action formats, while advertisers gain access to aggregated, down-funnel performance metrics, improving transparency and measurability.

The rollout coincides with the ongoing Indian Premier League season, which typically draws large and highly engaged audiences on the platform.

Anup Govindan, Head of Sports Sales at JioStar, said the initiative reflects a broader shift towards outcome-driven advertising.

“At its core, this is about identifying and understanding audiences through real purchase intent signals and going beyond what consumers watch to what they are likely to do next. We are enabling brands to engage audiences not just when they are watching, but when they are most receptive,” he said.

Himavant Kurnala, SVP Product at Instamart, said the partnership helps bridge the gap between discovery and purchase.

“By aligning premium entertainment with quick commerce, we are turning high-intent discovery into seamless decision-making. This creates a more relevant and frictionless shopping experience for millions of households,” he said.

JioHotstar said the new capability builds on its existing advertising stack, which includes offerings such as self-serve ads and “Shop The Look”. With signal-led advertising, the platform aims to deliver greater precision and relevance while maintaining privacy-safe, aggregated insights.

With a reported 450 million monthly active users and a content library spanning over 300,000 hours across 19 languages, JioHotstar is among the largest streaming platforms globally.