In 2019, we saw the official launch of the Disney+ streaming service around the world, marking the start of a new era for Disney — the streaming wars.
Let’s get into it!
There are several streaming services around the world such as Netflix, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Discovery+, HBO Max and more. And recently, several services have begun to consolidate by merging together, for example: HBO Max and Discovery+ or Paramount+ and Showtime.
Around the world, Disney+ is already available in 100+ countries, with more set to launch in 2023. However, there are several versions of the app around the world at the moment.
- Disney+ (Original Version with Star Hub) – Most of the world.
- Disney+ (Original Version with no Star Hub) – United States.
- Disney+ Hotstar – Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and India.
- “Hotstar X” (Disney+ & Hotstar merged) – Middle East, North Africa, South Africa and the Philippines.
It has been confirmed “Hotstar X,” the new version, will replace the original Disney+ Hotstar app and integrate both Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar all into one app soon. This app will include the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and the brand new Star hub. Notably, this would be the first time Disney+ users in Southeast Asia are introduced to the Star hub, home to all international and general entertainment content.
However, in the United States, Disney+ Hotstar has been into Disney+’ sister service, Hulu.
It really doesn’t seem uncommon that Disney has taken the initiative to slowly improve their app worldwide. With an ad-tier arriving next year internationally, Disney+ has been preparing for some big changes globally. In the United States, new batches of general entertainment content has been added, in Southeast Asia the Star hub has been added in some regions and in many regions the app’s layout has been updated recently.
What do you think? Are you excited about the future of Disney’s streaming service?
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