Disney+Hotstar aims to revive Indian streaming with free cricket

Disney aims to revive Indian streaming with free cricket, countering subscriber drop and financial strain.

Disney Bets on Free Cricket to Revive Indian Streaming, Countering Subscriber Drop:

• Disney seeks to boost its Indian streaming service by offering free cricket on smartphones, hoping to increase ad revenue and offset subscription loss.
• India’s streaming division, once Disney’s largest globally by users, faced a $41.5 million loss on $390 million in revenue (year to March 2022).
• Subscriber exodus led to a 33% user base reduction between October and July.
• Disney underestimated Indians’ willingness to pay, leading to the adoption of a “free cricket” strategy.
• The company will stream live Asia Cup matches and World Cup games on 600 million smartphones in India.
• Disney eyes a hybrid model with free cricket on mobiles and paid cricket on the Hotstar TV app.

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• The strategy aims to drive advertising revenue and attract new Hotstar TV subscribers.
• The move is anticipated to grow the user base and boost concurrent viewership during cricket events.
• Disney targets advertisers with budget options as low as $2,421 and plans interactive ads.
• Disney’s low average revenue per user (ARPU) in India is $0.59 compared to US Disney+ ARPU of $7.31.
• Despite challenges, Disney competes with rivals like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and JioCinema in India’s growing streaming market.
• Disney aims to counter JioCinema’s push for smartphone cricket viewing and emphasizes free mobile access in new ad campaigns.