Disney+ Hotstar on Friday said that it has decided to make the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup tournaments available for free-to-view to all mobile phone users accessing Disney+ Hotstar.
This move comes at a time when JioCinema streamed marquee tournaments such as IPL and FIFA.
“The move to lift the paywall for mobile-only viewers of both, the Asia Cup and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, is aimed at further democratizing the game of cricket and making it accessible to as many mobile users in India as possible for the duration of the season.,” it said in a statement.
“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,” said Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney+ Hotstar.
The company said 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 recently concluded India vs Sri Lanka, India vs New Zealand as well as India vs Australia tournaments also fared well for the platform