Disney in India has announced that all mobile phone users with access to its Disney+ Hotstar streaming platform will be able to witness the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup tournaments for free.
“The decision to remove the paywall for mobile-only viewers is intended to further democratize cricket and make it accessible to as many mobile users in India as possible for the duration of the season,” the company said in a statement released on Friday.
In India and other parts of South Asia, cricket is a national fixation, and as such, it is a significant draw for streamers and broadcasters who use it to attract and retain subscribers.
Disney lost the digital rights to the Indian Premier League cricket tournament to Viacom18 and JioCinema, sponsored by Reliance Industries Limited, in an auction held last year.
During the recently concluded 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League, Disney’s Star pay-TV platform charged viewers, while JioCinema broadcast matches for free.
Free Streaming Asia Cup & ICC Men’s World Cup on Disney+ and Hotstar.
Despite the fact that Disney+ Hotstar may have lost subscribers as a consequence, the company refuted media analyst claims that its ability to attract advertisers had also suffered.
Extremely, “India will be the first market in the world where paying OTT subscriptions may decline faster than Pay-TV,” a commentator predicted.
“Disney+ Hotstar has remained at the forefront of the swiftly evolving OTT industry in India, and the numerous innovations we’ve implemented to continue enriching the viewer experience have allowed us to delight our audiences across the region.
We believe that making the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup available to a larger audience will help us expand the ecosystem as a whole,” said Sajith Sivanandan, president of Disney+ Hotstar.
Disney+ Hotstar also reported “strong viewership momentum” for the Asia Cup 2022, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023. “The recently concluded India vs. Sri Lanka, India vs. New Zealand, and India vs. Australia tournaments were also successful for the platform,” the report said.