Users of Disney+ Hotstar’s mobile platform can access the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup tournaments for free later this year, according to an announcement made by the company. This decision bears a striking resemblance to Jio’s approach, wherein JioCinema offered free streaming of the Tata IPL 2023 tournament to all its users.
Disney+ Hotstar has lifted the paywall for mobile viewers of both tournaments. This move aims to tap into the large cricket-loving user base and increase the company’s footprint.
In the past, Disney+ Hotstar has witnessed substantial viewership for cricket events, including successful tournaments like the Asia Cup 2022, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, and ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023. Recent matches between India and Sri Lanka, India and New Zealand, and India and Australia have also garnered positive responses on the platform.
Thanks to this decision, over 540 million smartphone users in India will now be able to watch upcoming cricket tournaments without any extra cost.