Disney+ to launch in India on April 3

Disney’s streaming service Disney Plus (Disney+) will arrive in India on April 3. Star India on Tuesday announced the upgrade of Hotstar to Disney+ Hotstar on April 3.

With a fresh new look and enhanced user interface, Disney+ Hotstar will bring the magic of Disney’s storytelling and the scale and technological expertise of Hotstar — giving users an enhanced video streaming experience.

With people staying indoors to practice social distancing, Disney+ Hotstar will offer over 250 superhero and animated films, over 100 series including Disney+ Originals and engaging kids’ content, along with the latest Bollywood blockbusters and Hotstar Specials.

People can explore the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, they can watch the best of superheroes movies like “The Avengers”, “Iron Man”, “Thor Ragnarok” or latest movies including “The Lion King”, “Frozen II”, “Aladdin” and “Toy Story 4”. Families can spend quality time together with characters like Mickey Mouse, Gajju Bhai, Doraemon and Shin-chan.

“With the success of Hotstar, we ushered in a new era for premium video streaming in India. Today, 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,” said Uday Shankar – President, The Walt Disney Company APAC and Chairman, Star & Disney India.

“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 added.

Starting April 3, people can pick from three distinct offerings –- Disney+ Hotstar VIP, Disney+ Hotstar Premium and an ad-supported basic tier.

The subscribers of Disney+ Hotstar Premium will receive all the benefits of Disney+ Hotstar VIP, with the addition of access to English language content and 29 Disney+ Originals, including “The Mandalorian” from Jon Favreau; “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”, live-action version of “Lady and the Tramp” as well as the latest American shows from studios like HBO, Fox, Showtime. It will come at the price of Rs 1499 for a year.

There will be a language-based subscription meaning that Disney+ Hotstar VIP subscribers can enjoy content in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

All existing subscribers will be automatically upgraded to their respective new subscription plan and will be charged the new rates upon renewal.