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disney will fuel international growth with star brand and star+ app

AVATAR Manish Singh
Manish Singh
Reporter, India, TechCrunch
December 10, 2020
disney will fuel international growth with star brand and star+ app

Disney+, the streaming platform that debuted a year ago and has quickly attracted over 86 million members, is preparing for further expansion into numerous international regions.

During its yearly investor conference on Thursday, the prominent entertainment corporation revealed a new streaming offering called “Star,” which will showcase programming from ABC, FX, and 20th Century Studios.

The company stated that in select regions, including Europe, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, Star will be presented to users as a dedicated section within the existing Disney+ application, starting February 20th of the following year. Further expansion of Star into additional markets is planned for next year, though specific locations were not disclosed.

The addition of Star will result in a price adjustment: Disney+’s monthly subscription cost will increase from £5.99 to £8.99 in Europe. This price adjustment will be implemented in all other markets where Disney+ subscribers gain access to Star, according to the company.

disney will fuel international growth with star brand and star+ appIn Latin America, Star will function as a separate streaming service branded as “Star+.” This service is scheduled to launch in June 2021 and will provide a wide range of general entertainment films and television series, alongside a selection of live sporting events—including soccer and tennis—through ESPN.

This announcement suggests a recognition that Hulu, another streaming service under Disney’s ownership with approximately 39 million subscribers, may not be extended internationally.

Disney also indicated plans to broaden the availability of Disney+ Hotstar, a streaming service currently offered in India and Indonesia, to additional territories, although these locations remain unnamed. The company reported that Disney+ Hotstar represents around 30% of Disney+’s total subscriber base—approximately 26 million subscribers. Disney+ Hotstar had roughly 18 million subscribers as of the end of September, as revealed last month.

Hotstar already had a substantial subscriber base prior to Disney’s rebranding of the service in India earlier this year. The streaming service became a part of Disney through the acquisition of Fox, which owned Hotstar-operator Star India (a distinct Star! Star India manages numerous television channels in India and is currently owned by Disney.)

Disney has consistently employed a strategy of leveraging established regional assets and industry partnerships to expand into various international markets. For example, in France, the service is accessible through a collaboration with Canal, and in Spain, through Moviestar.

#Disney#Star#Star+#streaming#international growth#media

Manish Singh

Manish Singh currently serves as a senior journalist for TechCrunch, with a focus on the dynamic startup ecosystem within India and the venture capital funding that fuels it. His reporting also extends to the strategies of international technology companies as they operate in the Indian market. Prior to becoming a part of the TechCrunch team in 2019, Singh contributed articles to a wide range of media outlets, notably including CNBC and VentureBeat, totaling approximately twelve publications. He earned a degree in Computer Science and Engineering in 2015. He can be contacted via email at manish(at)techcrunch(dot)com.
Manish Singh