Disney+ launches in India via Hotstar; no changes in subscription plans

Disney's video-on-demand streaming service Disney Plus (Disney+) has arrived in India weeks ahead of its scheduled launch date through an existing service Hotstar.

Hotstar has rolled out an update, which not only changes the app's name to Disney+ Hotstar but also adds Disney+ shows.

Robert Iger, then chairman and CEO of Disney, had given March 29 as the official launch date of Disney+ in India.

As per the report, the Disney+ Hotstar is currently available at no additional charge to existing Hotstar subscribers -- who pay Rs 999 for a year and the premium tier carries a new yearly sticker price of Rs 3,588.

Shows like The Mandalorian, Marvel's Hero Project and The Imagineering Story: Limited Series are currently available.

The list also includes Diary of a Future President, Disney Family Sundays, Encore, Forky Asks a Question, and High School Musical: The Musical.

TechCrunch reported in November that the company was planning to launch its streaming service in India by the second half of the year, followed by its entry in Southeast Asian markets.

Disney Plus (Disney+) has moved up its launch date in Europe a week, from March 31 to March 24.

The streaming service will launch in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland on March 24, while Western Europe markets, including Belgium, the Nordics, and Portugal, will follow in summer 2020.

Additionally, Disney+ generated $43.9 million during its second month, in addition to the $53.3 million it made during its first 30 days.

While competitors Netflix and Hulu predate our available data, we can see that, in comparison, Disney rival HBO Now grossed $23.7 million during its first 60 days-even when launching alongside a new season of its top program, Game of Thrones-and Showtime grossed $1.2 million.

In terms of downloads, Disney+'s second month garnered 1.35 crore, or 33 percent, of the 4.09 crore installs it's seen since launch.

Meanwhile, Hotstar, at its peak, reported more than 10 crore daily active users and 30 crore monthly active users last year.