Hotstar to stream Asia Cup and ODI World Cup for free to mobile users

Disney+ Hotstar will be streaming the upcoming Asia Cup and 50-over World Cup for free to all mobile phone users accessing their application. Walt Disney Co’s Hotstar made the announcement on Friday in a bid to rival Viacom18 and Reliance-owned JioCinema's growth in the cricket-crazed country.

Hotstar lost their digital streaming rights of the Indian Premier League to Reliance's Viacom18 from 2023 to 2027 for around $2.9 billion. The popular media venture made the tournament free to access for users on JioCinema, shattering several streaming records during the 16th edition of the tournament.

Hotstar's latest move will not only re-establish them as one of the major players in the streaming sector but will also thwart competitors like JioCinema, who are trying to build their monopoly in the country. Disney has also witnessed a mass exodus from their platform with their subscriber base shrinking by nearly 5 million users after losing out on IPL's streaming rights, according to a report by research firm CLSA.

"Disney+Hotstar has remained at the forefront of the rapidly evolving OTT industry in India and the various innovations we have introduced to continue enhancing the viewer experience has allowed us to delight our audiences across the region. Making the Asia Cup and ICC Men's Cricket World Cup available to a wider audience, we believe, will help us to grow the overall eco-system," Sajith Sivanandan, head of Disney+Hotstar told Exchange4 Media.

Hotstar to attract fans with two major tournaments of 2023

While the upcoming Asia Cup has been surrounded by uncertainties regarding the venue of the tournament, the ODI World Cup is set to be hosted by India later this year. Apart from the attraction of two major cricketing tournaments, Hotstar will take comfort in the fact that JioCinema has also started charging for their premium content, which could help the Disney-owned streaming platform to reclaim their user base.