Disney+ To Launch On March 29 In India In Collaboration With Hotstar

Disney -- the multinational mass media and entertainment behemoth launched its own streaming service Disney+ in select markets in late 2019. Now, the company CEO Bob Iger has officially confirmed that Disney+ will be launched in India on March 29, 2020.
However, unlike North America, Disney+ will come to India with a twist.

Disney recently acquired Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox which also owns the OTT service provider Star India and Hotstar. Hotstar is one of the big names in India that owns exclusive rights to live stream Indian Premier League and is also the only service provider that offers HBO's exclusive shows.

The company launched the streaming service in North America in November 2019 with a bunch of new shows, including the Mandalorian based on Star Wars saga. It was also said that Disney+ shows will be available on Hotstar. With this move, it is speculated that the Hotstar might get renamed to Disney+ Hotstar.

As of now, the premium streaming market in India is dominated by the likes of Prime Video, Netflix, and Hotstar. With the acquisition of Hotstar, the company will have a solid footprint before it enters the Indian market.

Disney+ Expected Pricing In India

As of now, Hotstar Premium costs Rs. 999 per year and Disney+ is likely to cost the same at least for the first year as an introductory offer. However, in the US Disney+ subscription costs $6.99 per month and $69.99 (approx Rs. 4982.55) per year.

As of February 3, Disney+ has a total of 28.6 million user base, which is an astonishing number for a paid streaming service, which is just four months old. Besides the new and upcoming shows, Disney has acquired a lot of movie studios and offers an extensive range of content to give tough competition to Netflix and Prime Video.

Via