Hotstar US is getting sunset and Disney is beefing up Hulu and ESPN+ with tons of new, India-focused content.
As first reported by Deadline, Hotstar US will cease operations by the end of 2022 and its content will be split between Disney’s other two streaming services, Hulu and ESPN+. Obviously, ESPN+ will receive Hotstar’s sports content, including IPL cricket matches, while Hulu will receive Bollywood films and shows, as well as Hotstar specials.
The IPL will resume its season on September 15, after temporarily suspending its season due to another surge of COVID-19 cases in India. More than 30 matches will be shown on ESPN+ this season, and the entire 2022 IPL season will stream live on ESPN+, which is expected to start next March. While cricket isn’t much more than a niche sport in the US, it is wildly popular in Europe and Asia, and will no doubt be a major lift for ESPN+ as transplants have a new place to watch their favorite sport.
On the Hulu side of things, Deadline reports that “Hotstar specials and Bollywood titles will rotate on and off the platform at regular intervals, with the number of total episodes and titles in the thousands. The roster of Hotstar specials headed for Hulu includes The Empire, Aarya, Criminal Justice, Special Ops, and Indian adaptations The Office and Dil Bechara. The latter is a remake of the 2014 teen melodrama The Fault in our Stars.
The best way to gain access to all the Hotstar content coming to both ESPN+ and Hulu is to sign up for the Disney Bundle. This way, you’ll get both services and Disney+ for a great price. You have three different options, outlined below:
1. The Disney Bundle: Disney+, Hulu w/ Limited Commercials, & ESPN+
Price: $13.99 (normally $20.97)
The simplest bundle includes all three Disney services for less than the price of Netflix. While separately they would cost $20.97 a month, with the bundle you can get them for just $13.99 a month.
- Click here to sign-up for the Disney+ Bundle
- If you are an existing Hulu or ESPN+ subscriber, you must use the same email address as your other accounts
- You will be charged $12.99 a month for the three services, and if you are already a subscriber of Hulu or Disney+, you will receive a bill credit for those.
2. The Disney Bundle: Disney+, Hulu w/ No Ads, & ESPN+
Price: $19.99 (normally $26.97)
If you just don’t want ads, you can still take advantage of the Disney+ bundle.
- Click here to sign-up for the Disney+ Bundle
- If you are an existing Hulu or ESPN+ subscriber, you must use the same email address as your other accounts
- You will be charged $19.99 a month for the three services, and if you are already a subscriber of Hulu or Disney+, you will receive a bill credit for those.