Star India announced on Tuesday that it is upgrading its Hotstar to Disney+ Hotstar on April 3, enabling users to watch over 250 superhero and animated films along with existing Hotstar content. The company said that the users would enjoy an enhanced user experience as the upgraded platform would bring together “magic of Disney’s storytelling and the scale and technological expertise of Hotstar, giving users an unparalleled video streaming experience.” With the upgrade, the company said that the platform would be available under three offerings including Disney+ Hotstar VIP, Disney+ Hotstar Premium and an ad supported basic tier. Further, the company said that the Disney+ Hotstar VIP subscribers can enjoy content in three Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Disney+ Hotstar Revamp Packages
With the Disney+ Hotstar VIP subscription, users can enjoy content like The Lion King, Frozen II, Aladdin and Toy Story 4 along with films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe like The Avengers, Iron Man and Thor. It has to be noted that the VIP subscription lets users to enjoy movies only in either of the three Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Star India noted that the subscribers of the Disney+ Hotstar Premium would receive all the content of the VIP subscription along with the addition of English language content and 29 Disney+ originals. The Mandalorian and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series are some of the Disney+ originals that are included with the premium subscription.
The existing content under the premium brand which includes American shows from HBO and Fox would also be available under the Disney+ Hotstar Premium subscription.
“As we unveil Disney+ Hotstar, we take yet another momentous step in staying committed to our promise of delivering high-quality impactful stories for India that have not only entertained but also made a difference in people’s lives, a promise that is even more meaningful in challenging times such as this,” Uday Shankar, President of The Walt Disney Company APAC region and Chairman of Star & Disney India, said in a statement.
The new subscription rates of Disney+ Hotstar VIP package begins at Rs 399 for a year while the Disney+ Hotstar Premium is priced at Rs 1,499 per year. The company said that the existing subscribers will be upgraded to the new packages while they would be charged new rates at the time of renewal.
“We hope the power of Disney’s storytelling, delivered through Hotstar’s technology, will help our viewers find moments of comfort, happiness and inspiration during these difficult times,” Shankar said.
Access to Free Content Would Continue
Star India noted that users can continue to watch free content including catch-up TV shows in eight Indian languages, movies and on-demand news for free. Additionally, users can also access sports clips from various sporting events including the Indian Premier League, the BCCI cricket series and the Premier League.
The company said that it will host a virtual red carpet event on April 2 with the premiere of The Lion King in multiple languages including English, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. While The Lion King will premiere at 6 pm, it is said to be followed by The Mandalorian at 8 pm.
