Disney+ To Launch In India With Hotstar In March 2020; Expected Subscription Price

Disney has confirmed the Disney+ streaming service will come to India from March 29, 2020. The company's CEO and Chairman Robert Iger announced during its Q1 2020 earnings call today. Until the end of 2019, the exact date for launch in India was not clear.

Instead of coming up with a new platform, Disney+ will be available in India through Hotstar streaming app, which is also owned by Disney. "We're also excited to announce that we will be launching Disney Plus in India through our Hotstar service on March 29, at the beginning of the Indian Premier League Cricket season," said Robert Iger.

Hotstar will also be rebranded as Disney Plus Hotstar with Hotstar VIP and Premium subscriptions. Iger added, "We see this as a great opportunity to use the proven platform of Hotstar to launch the new Disney Plus service in one of the most populous countries and fastest-growing economies in the world,"

There have been no reports on the subscription plans and prices. Currently, Hotstar is available at Rs 999 for a yearly subscription and Rs 299 for a monthly plan. There's also a Hotstar VIP plan available at Rs 365 per year. Disney plus on the other hand, in the US is available for $6.99 per month or $69 per year.

If Disney uses a similar subscription plan as Netflix, we could see a subscription plan prices skyrocket within a month's time. If you are to consider their US pricing, then an Indian subscriber will have to pay Rs 500 per month approx, which comes up to, Rs 5000 for a yearly subscription.

Disney Plus has an extended range of shows to provide which already has an incredible demand, their last release, The Mandalorian went on to become one of the biggest releases on any streaming services. And their line up for 2020 and 2021 include big names from MCU like, WandaVision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, She-Hulk. Clone Wars and more.