Disney+ Hotstar has announced that it will lift the paywall for mobile-only viewers of both, the Asia Cup and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. This will make it accessible to as many mobile users in India as possible for the duration of the season, said the company.
This comes after JioCinema broke several records by making the IPL 2023 streaming free for mobile and web / TV viewers. It also broke Disney+ Hotstar’s record of 2.5 crore concurrent viewers, which it set during the India vs New Zealand Semi-Final in the ICC 2019 World Cup.
Disney+ Hotstar said that it has created strong viewership momentum for cricket properties, with successful tournaments including the Asia Cup 2022, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, and ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023.
The Asia Cup will happen in September, hosted by Pakistan, and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will be held in October and November in India.
Commenting on this move, Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney+ Hotstar, said:
Disney+ Hotstar has remained at the forefront of the rapidly evolving OTT industry in India, and the various innovations we have introduced to continue enhancing the viewer experience has allowed us to delight our audiences across the region. Making the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup available to a wider audience, we believe, will help us grow the overall eco-system.