MUMBAI: Espionage has never looked so marketable JioHotstar’s Special Ops 2 is back, and it’s bringing more than just bullets and secrets to the screen this 18 July. It’s bringing brands. Fourteen of them. Special Ops 2, the latest instalment of the hit thriller franchise, is already making headlines before its premiere not just for its high-stakes cyber warfare plot, but for its impressive brand line-up. With 14 marquee sponsors on board, the show has set a new benchmark in branded entertainment for scripted Indian OTT content.

From automobiles to FMCG, and personal care to mutual funds, Special Ops 2 has attracted a cross-sectoral advertiser base that includes Hyundai, Jaquar & Co, Directors Elaichi, Asian Paints, UTI Mutual Fund, Envy, Philips, Lux Industries, Domino’s, JK Cement, Oppo, Swiggy, Toothsi, and Sony Bravia. This marks the highest-ever sponsor count for a title under the Specials banner on JioHotstar.

“With Special Ops, we’ve built an iconic IP that delivers both cultural impact and business value,” said JioHotstar head of revenue entertainment & international Ajit Varghese. “This kind of brand response speaks to the power of premium storytelling and the platform’s ability to deliver engaged, meaningful audiences at scale.”

Returning to the screen is Kay Kay Menon as Himmat Singh, the stoic intelligence officer at the centre of the action. But this time, he’s stepping into a more shadowy world of cyber espionage, system sabotage, and faceless digital enemies, a timely theme in an age of digital vulnerability.

The rise in sponsorships also underscores how advertisers are shifting focus towards long-form, high-quality original series as strategic storytelling platforms. JioHotstar’s previous original, Criminal Justice Season 4, similarly drew widespread brand attention, signalling a growing trend in content-backed advertising integrations.

Special Ops 2 premieres on 18 July exclusively on JioHotstar, and if the buzz (and brand budget) is anything to go by, this mission’s already a success before its first intel drop.