How Does Disney Plus Hotstar Compare to the Other Streaming Giants

Disney Plus
Disney Plus

Over the last few years, Netflix, Prime, and Hulu dominated the streaming industry. Yet, as of 2019, Disney’s new service, including Hotstar, has made big strides in growing their user base.

With movies, TV shows, and original programming, this site gives Netflix a run for its money. Although it’s a geo-restricted service, you can access Disney Plus Hotstar in Australia and other countries through a VPN to keep up with your favorite streaming content.

Disney+ Hotstar has also been dubbed as a Netflix killer by many sources. Moreover, it is the only service to compete with other major streaming giants. There are three top rivals for streaming dominance — Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.

All three companies started releasing their original content. They started by getting rights to films and TV shows, making deals with international networks, etc. But after the merger of Disney+ Hotstar, it’s only a matter of time before this service surpasses them.

They both entered the streaming industry together with huge fanfare and now facing off for users. Thus, here’s an overview of what to expect and how they stack up against the other streaming giants:

Why Is Disney Plus Hotstar Special?

Disney announced a major merger in 2019, making a huge impact on the entertainment industry. The deal also helped Disney expand their global footprint against streaming companies like Netflix, Prime, and Hulu.

But after Disney sealed Star India for $71.3 billion, it launched a direct-to-consumer service called Disney+. The deal also made Star India the second-biggest shareholder in streaming with other services.

The service launched at the end of 2019, housing content from the Disney library and Star India titles. The online streaming market is already highly competitive, with Netflix leading the way.

Disney Plus will also compete against other smaller players like Crackle regardless of its competition. This is very exciting for both companies because each has the potential for exponential growth.

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Disney+ Hotstar VS Other OTT Services: Rates, Content, Subscribers

Since Disney Plus is competing with Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu in a battle for viewers. So with any competition between these companies, it’s interesting how Disney+ Hotstar will perform against its rivals.

Their new streaming service, Disney Plus, will go head-to-head with other OTT services. But to succeed in this market, it will need to offer something different or better than the other platforms. Let’s take a look:

Subscription Rates

Disney understands that its fans are on a budget. Thus, to make it more affordable for everyone, the company is following Netflix’s example. Netflix was the first to lower its prices and offer a price tier for many users:

Free (ad-supported content)

Super (Rs. 899/year ad-supported content available but in high quality)

Premium (Rs. 1,499/year all content available in high quality)

Mobile (ranges from Rs. 499/year to Rs. 199/6month, and Rs. 49/month)

Its key features include downloading videos for offline viewing on mobile devices. Moreover, it also allows you to save any favorite clips to access them later.

It stands between the pricing of Netflix and Prime. So this is the most affordable platform out there with a wide range of content available.

Streaming Specials & Licensed Content

Disney+ Hotstar gives access to all the Disney classics. It includes exclusive Marvel and Star Wars content, new original series, MCU, and more. Since it’s hard to predict how much money this service will make.

The analysts predict it could be upwards of $2 billion a year in subscription revenue alone. However, there’s also the biggest differentiating factor between this service and others like Netflix or HBO. People who subscribe will also access all Disney’s content with Hulu and ESPN+.

The Disney+ service also offers original content like The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and The Emperor’s New Groove. But Hotstar has also ruled the Indian market with a wide range of sports streaming services.

Disney+ Hotstar Subscribers War

Disney Plus is the new kid on the block and has a lot to prove. It may also be able to take the lead with its library from Disney-owned companies like Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel.

But every OTT service is spending billions on getting users by giving free access to shows, movies, and even exclusive content. For example, Disney+ Hotstar gained another 116 million users despite the 181.1 million combined.

Netflix, Hulu, and Prime may have been the undisputed leader in streaming over the last decade. But, Disney has been a great rival since it launched its platform, and it has been gaining ground lately.