March 17 (Reuters) -

Reliance Jio, India's largest telecom firm by users, said on

Monday it will start charging users to stream Indian Premier

League (IPL) cricket matches, ending two years of free streaming

of one of the country's most-watched sporting events.

The new recharge plan, which starts at 299 rupees ($3.44)

for Jio's mobile users, will enable them to watch the IPL on

Reliance-Disney's newly merged JioHotstar streaming platform,

the Reliance Group-owned firm said.

IPL, a money spinner and among the country's most-streamed

content, is scheduled to be held between March 22 and May 25.

The move comes a month after Reuters reported that the

Reliance-Disney JV will no longer offer free streaming for IPL

cricket matches, as was the case in 2023 and 2024 in the old

JioCinema platform, and will adopt a hybrid model where

subscription kicks in after content consumption reaches a

threshold.

The new plan also includes a 50-day trial of Reliance Jio's

, broadband internet services, to help boost home

internet dominance with high-speed sports streaming.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's pricing strategy for the IPL and

other cricketing events are closely watched - media rights for

those have cost the merged group, India's biggest entertainment

giant, nearly $10 billion in recent years.

The JV runs more than 100 TV channels and streaming apps in

India's $28-billion media and entertainment market.

($1 = 86.8440 Indian rupees)