After more than 40 years of operation, DTVE is closing its doors and our website will no longer be updated daily. Thank you for all of your support.
Disney to shutter Hotstar US as content including IPL is migrated to Hulu and ESPN+
By
Disney is to migrate content from Hotstar to ESPN+ and Hulu in the US, effectively shuttering the streamer’s operations in the US.
Disney acquired Hotstar as a part of the US$71.3 billion Fox acquisition that closed in 2019. The brand is prominent in Asia, and serves as the house of Disney+ content in a number of prominent markets such as India.
However, Hotstar will cease operations as a standalone service in the US from late 2022, with its predominantly Asian movies and shows like Aarya being moved to Hulu. Hotstar’s rights to India’s IPL cricket tournament will now be broadcast on ESPN+, and the streamer will air the 2021 season when it resumes on September 19.
With the services and content being consolidated, the only downside for consumers is the cost factor. A Hotstar subscription in the US costs US$49.99 per year, while the Disney bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ costs US$13.99 per month with ads or US$19.99 per month for an ad-free version.
To prevent a backlash, Hotstar users in the US will receive a code to transfer their remaining membership across to the bundle.
1 min read
