Disney+ to debut in India on March 29

Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, will debut in India on March 29, confirmed the company’s CEO Robert Iger in the first quarter earnings call of 2020. In India, Disney+ will be incorporated within the existing Hotstar app, he said. Hotstar, which is the most widely used video streaming platform in India, already boasts a subscriber base of 28.6 million.

“We’re also excited to announce that we will be launching Disney Plus in India through our Hotstar service on March 29, at the beginning of the Indian Premier League Cricket season. We will be rebranding our existing Hotstar VIP and Premium subscription tiers to Disney Plus Hotstar,” said Iger.

Titles from the entertainment company’s vast catalogue will be available for streaming in India soon by leverage Hotstar’s robust technology base. Hotstar has already begun stream Disney movies, including those from the Marvel stable, after it Disney+ was launched in the US in November 2019.

The new streaming platform will launch in other global markets in March. The app is currently live in Canada and the Netherlands, in addition to the United States. The Disney+ app will be available for download to users in Spain, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland on March 24, 2019.

Subscribers in the US have to shell out USD 6.99 per month to avail the service. This comes to around Rs. 500 a month. But Disney may be tempted to price the service differently in emerging markets like India. Hotstar Premium currently costs Rs. 999 per year or Rs. 299 a month if users do not wish to pay a lump sum for yearly subscription.

Hotstar VIP, which sits below the Premium subscription tier, can be availed for Rs. 365 per year. This bundle includes movies and television shows in regional Indian languages and live sports like football, motorsport, and cricket. However, VIP subscribers will not be able to view English-language content.

Disney is yet to reveal details on pricing, given that the Disney+ service will be accommodated within the Hotstar app. It has also not mentioned whether existing Hotstar subscribers will be able to access the new service for free, or by paying the balance amount, assuming that Hotstar-Disney+ will cost more than what users are now paying.

Netflix is currently the most expensive streaming service in the country, but it has a number of price tiers that cater to various segments in India’s price-conscious market. Its 4K Premium plan costs Rs. 799 per month, while a mobile-only can be accessed for Rs. 199/month. Amazon Prime Video’s pricing strategy mirrors that of Hotstar, with yearly subscription costing Rs. 999.