Disney Plus will launch in India in the second half of 2020, following the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament, which will end on May 12. That's the new TechCrunch reporting report, which cites two sources "familiar with the company's plan."
Also, there won't be a separate app for Disney Plus, because the entire catalog will be available on Hotstar. It has been widely said that Hotstar belongs to Star India, which in turn belongs to The Walt Disney Company.
Hotstar is the largest streaming player in the Indian video streaming market with over 300 million subscribers. So it makes sense for Disney to integrate its streaming catalog to Hotstar. However, this is easier said than done.
Hotstar works because India loves cricket
Hotstar offers a wide and exclusive range of cricket and Premier League coverage. As a result, the streaming service set a record when 25 million simultaneous viewers watched the semifinals of the 2019 ICC World Cup earlier this year.
Cricket is vital to Hotstar, but according to internal analytics specialists, the service has seen a monthly decline in the number of subscribers, which has risen to 60 million. This is after the IPL tournament and if these numbers are valid, Hotstar needs the Disney Plus redesign.
Hotstar increases subscription fees
The two anonymous sources cited in the TechCrunch report also reveal that Hotstar plans to increase subscription fees for its service in India. This will occur towards the end of the first quarter of 2020 and before the start of the IPL.
Although not confirmed, subscription prices could double, which will be a disappointment for new subscribers. It could go up to € 30 (around Rs 2,000) instead of € 15 (Rs 999). However, please note that these prices are not official yet and may change when this happens.
Hotstar's library includes exclusive coverage of cricket, Hotstar Specials, Indian movies, international movies and TV shows, Indian TV channels, and 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, and Showtime. HBO and ABC.
TechCrunch's report says that after the launch of Disney Plus in India, Hotstar could venture into Southeast Asian countries, starting with Indonesia and Malaysia. It is currently available in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with the exception of India.
At the same time, Disney Plus has received 10 million subscribers 24 hours after its launch, which is a good start, as it is currently only available in the United States, Canada and the countries. -bas. The service launched with an extensive catalog of Disney titles, Pixar animated films, Star Wars Saga, and Marvel.