Are Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar the same?

Have you heard of Disney+ Hotstar and wondered what it is and how it compares to Disney+? You’ve come to the right place! While these two services share a name and much of the same content, there are some key differences between the two. Below, we’ll break down exactly what Disney+ Hotstar is, where you can access it, and how it compares to a regular Disney+ subscription. 

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What is Disney+ Hotstar?

Hotstar hit the market in 2015 as India’s premier streaming service, owned by Star India. In 2019, The Walt Disney Company acquired all of Star, folding Hotstar’s local and sports content with Disney’s own streaming service, Disney+. Thus, Disney+ Hotstar was born. 

Since the merger, subscribers have access to Hotstar content, including live sports and local content, as well as a ton of Disney-owned shows and movies. With over 100,000 hours of content in more than 17 languages, Disney+ Hotstar remains the top streaming service in India. It’s also now expanded to several other countries throughout the region, including Thailand and Malaysia, though the programs offered differ slightly depending on the country. 

If you’re interested in subscribing, there are two plans available in all countries. Though the exact specifics may change depending on your location, the breakdown of the two plans is below. 

What is available on Disney+ Hotstar?

The biggest benefit to users of Disney+ Hotstar is how much new content they have access to. The service has something for everyone—from global blockbusters to local entertainment and live sports. No matter which plan you subscribe to, the content offerings remain the same within your home country. 

With Disney+ Hotstar, you get access to the vast library of Disney-owned content, from classic Disney films like The Lion King and Snow White to modern Marvel and Star Wars shows like WandaVision and The Mandalorian. The full list of content may vary by country, but generally, the streaming site offers: 

• Disney films and TV shows
• Pixar animated films
• FX and ABC original series
• Star Wars movies and TV series
• National Geographic programming
• Showtime series
• Marvel Cinematic Universe shows and movies

On top of that, there is still a huge selection of regional content like original series and movies. It’s perfect if you’re looking to support local filmmakers or catch a non-English film. 

For Disney+ Hotstar India, this includes hit Bollywood films like Stree and Hotstar Specials like Goli Soda Rising. For Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, this includes local programming and Asia-Pacific fan-favorites like popular anime. Whether you want a riveting K-drama, a laugh-out-loud stand up special, or a competitive reality show, Hotstar offers programming in English, Hindi, Tamil, Malay, and Bengali, among others. 

Perhaps the biggest draw to Disney+ Hotstar is its live sport content, especially if you’re a cricket fan. With coverage of all Indian Premier League and international matches, like the Cricket World Cup, there isn’t a better streaming app to keep up with the sport. Not into cricket? It also streams football (including Premier League), tennis, baseball, Kabaddi, and more. Unfortunately, this programming is only available in India currently, but there is hope that it will expand to other markets in the future. 

Where is Disney+ Hotstar available?

Disney+ Hotstar is currently only available in India and a handful of countries across Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.  The content will vary depending on which country you’re from, as it’s tailored to fit local audiences. Note, to set up a Disney+ Hotstar account, you’ll need a local phone number.

What is Disney+?

Disney+ is an on-demand streaming service launched by The Walt Disney company in 2019 as a direct competitor to Netflix, Prime Video, and others. Disney+ provides a massive collection of content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. 

Disney+ is currently available in over 120 countries and territories worldwide, but content availability varies slightly across countries due to licensing agreements and content restrictions. 

What is the difference between Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar?

While Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar are both streaming services owned and operated by Disney, there are some differences between the two. The main difference comes down to the regions they serve and the type of content that is available on both. We’ve broken down the main differences in the table below. 

Can I watch Hotstar with my Disney+ account?

Unfortunately, unless you have already set up a Disney+ Hotstar account, you will not be able to access Hotstar content with a Disney+ account alone. That’s because Disney+ Hotstar is a specific bundle only available in specific regions, a normal Disney+ user will not be able to access that content, even while in those available countries.

However, if you have a Disney+ Hotstar account and you travel to another country where it is available, you may be able to access that country’s content. So if you’re from India and traveling to Malaysia, you may be able to access Malaysia content by signing in as normal. Alternatively, you could keep access to your Disney+ Hotstar account with a VPN if you’re traveling outside your home country. 

For those outside the regions where Hotstar is available, the good news is that some of the content is available through other means. In the U.S for example, much of the Indian Hotstar content can be found through Hulu, which you can bundle with Disney+ as part of The Disney Bundle. In other places some of the Hotstar content may be available through the Disney+ app itself under the Star banner, but as always, content availability varies by country. 

Why do I need a VPN for Disney+ Hotstar?

Since Disney+ Hotstar is only available in a few countries, you won’t be able to access it while you’re away from home. That means that if you’re a subscriber and want to keep up with your favorite content while abroad, a VPN is a must-have. To watch while you’re traveling, simply connect to a VPN location server in your home country and enjoy your shows on Disney+ Hotstar as you would at home. 

Outside of traveling, a VPN is also great for ensuring your internet service provider doesn’t throttle your speeds based on your streaming activity, leading to buffering and poor video quality. A VPN can help prevent that by encrypting your internet traffic. This hides your activity from your internet provider which can ensure you have a smooth streaming experience. 

This encryption is also ideal if you like to stream while on public Wi-Fi networks such as when you’re commuting to work or out at a local cafe. Not only does it hide your activity from your internet provider, it also keeps your network data secure and private, which prevents others from gaining access to your sensitive information. 

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