Disney+ was scheduled to launch on India’s Hotstar streaming service on March 29, but the integration is already live. An update to the Hotstar Android app adds Disney+ vast catalog of shows, including The Mandalorian and all Star Wars movies.
The update also introduces Hotstar’s rebranding to Disney+ Hotstar. The new icon puts Disney+ front and center, and Hotstar’s premium tier is now dubbed Disney+ Hotstar VIP. The changelog for the update notes that over 130 TV shows — including 30 originals — and over 200 movies have been added to the platform, and it looks like most of Disney’s back catalog is available. The notable omission is The Simpsons, and we’ll have to wait and see if the show makes its way onto the platform in the coming weeks.
The Hotstar interface is unchanged, and you get easy options to download content and add shows to your list. It also has Cast built-in, letting you stream content to a Chromecast-enabled TV. The content itself is limited to 1080p, but we’ll have to see if that changes closer to the official launch date.
Another unknown at this point is how much the rebranded entity will cost. Hotstar’s premium tier costs ₹999 ($15) a year, but that number will likely increase with the Disney+ integration. We should know more in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, you can head to Hotstar right now to stream your favorite Disney shows.
