Disney+ content may be streamed over Hotstar in India
Thursday, Walt Disney Co. announced the November 2019 launch of its highly anticipated, ad-free video streaming service, Disney+, in the US. However, the company is unlikely to launch the platform in India and, instead, route the original content created for the new OTT (over-the-top) service, and its movie library, to Indian audiences through Hotstar, the video streaming service owned by Star India, people familiar with the development said.
Walt Disney had acquired Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox Inc. in a $71 billion cash and stock deal in June 2018. That makes Star India, Fox Star Studios and Hotstar in India, a part of Walt Disney.
Content from other Disney units, including ESPN and Hulu, is already available on Hotstar, and Disney+ will be a valuable addition. To be sure, Hotstar plans to localize Disney+ movies and shows by dubbing, or by adding subtitles in Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Hotstar’s own original content, titled Hotstar Specials, are currently available in seven Indian languages.
India will probably be the only market in the world, wherein services such as Hulu, ESPN and now Disney+ will exist under one umbrella, and not independently. Further, while globally Disney+ will be priced at $7, Star plans to continue with its current price plans—hotstar Premium (₹299 per month and ₹999 per year) and Hotstar VIP (₹365 per year)—in India, even after the launch of Disney+.
An email query to a Star India spokesperson asking for details remained unanswered.
The decision to bring Disney+ content under Hotstar is based on the latter’s wide reach, besides the potential of the Indian market. According to Disney’s own estimates, revealed at the Investor Day 2019 held last week, Hotstar clocked in 300 million monthly active users (MAU) in March. Further, Disney estimated that India has the largest youth population in the world with over 600 million below the age of 25.