Voot was an Indian subscription video on demand (SVOD) and advertising-supported streaming service operated by Viacom18 Media Private Limited. The platform offered a mix of Hindi general entertainment programming, regional language content, original web series, kids' shows, and live as well as catch-up access to Viacom18's broadcast network. It was primarily targeted at Indian audiences and the Indian diaspora.
| Service name | Voot |
|---|---|
| Type | Over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service |
| Country of origin | India |
| Parent organisation | Viacom18 Media Private Limited |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Industry | Digital media, entertainment |
| Service tiers | Voot (free, ad-supported), Voot Select (subscription), Voot Kids |
Voot was launched by Viacom18, a joint venture between Network18 and the American media company Viacom (later ViacomCBS, and subsequently Paramount Global). The service was built to complement Viacom18's linear television networks, which include Colors TV, MTV India, Nickelodeon India, Comedy Central and several regional Colors-branded channels. Content from these networks formed the bulk of Voot's catch-up library.
Voot was introduced in 2016 as a free, advertising-supported streaming platform in India. At launch the service hosted television catalogue content from Viacom18's channels along with originals targeted at younger digital viewers. An international version of the service was subsequently rolled out in selected overseas markets, including the United Kingdom and the United States, to cater to Indian audiences abroad.
Voot Kids, a subscription service aimed at children with a combination of video, audiobooks, e-books and learning activities, was launched as a separate offering. In 2020, the company introduced Voot Select, a paid premium tier that provided early access to television episodes, advertising-free viewing of selected content, originals, and access to international shows licensed from ViacomCBS networks such as Showtime.
Following the restructuring of Viacom18's ownership, with Reliance Industries' broadcasting arm taking a larger role in the joint venture, Voot's operations were aligned with the wider Viacom18 streaming strategy. After Viacom18 acquired digital sports rights, including those of the Indian Premier League, streaming operations were progressively consolidated under the JioCinema brand.
In 2023, Voot's content library and subscriber base were migrated to JioCinema, the streaming platform operated by Viacom18 in conjunction with Reliance's Jio Platforms. Voot Select was discontinued as a standalone subscription, and the Voot apps and website were eventually wound down in favour of the unified JioCinema service.
Voot was among the early entrants in India's streaming market, alongside services such as Hotstar, SonyLIV and ALTBalaji, and played a role in shifting Indian general entertainment audiences toward on-demand digital viewing. Its dual model—an advertising-supported free tier with broad reach and a premium subscription tier—reflected wider trends in the Indian OTT industry, where free, ad-supported streaming continued to coexist with paid services. The eventual integration with JioCinema marked a significant consolidation in the Indian streaming sector.