Disney+ in the U.S.A. has announced the availability of its service from November 2019. However, the company has no plans to launch the platform in India and, instead, stream the Disney+ content created for the new OTT (over-the-top) service, and its movie library, to Indian audiences through Hotstar, the video streaming service without any extra charges.
After the announcement that Disney+ shows and movies would be available in India via Hotstar and there won’t be extra charges either, the Hotstar valuation service has doubled as compared to its competition. For people who have not subscribed to the service yet, the Disney+ addition makes it a sweet reason to subscribe.
Content from other Disney units, including ESPN and Hulu, are 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 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. The best part is that Hotstar won’t be increasing the price of the service and will continue with the Rs.999 yearly plan and a monthly Rs.299 plan, making it the most affordable option to stream the Disney+ content anywhere in the world.
