New Policy of Disney Hotstar
In an effort to combat account sharing, Disney’s streaming service in India, Disney Hotstar, is introducing a new policy that limits login access to only four devices. This comes as Netflix informs users in more than 100 countries that there are additional fees for sharing the service.
The premium subscribers of Walt Disney’s streaming service in India will soon be subject to a new rule that limits login access to only four devices. This action aims to address the problem of account sharing in this significant market.
According to a Reuters story, this change occurs as streaming rival Netflix has already started informing its members in more than 100 countries that there will be extra fees associated with sharing the service with others outside of their families.
Despite the website showing a limit of four devices, the premium account of Disney Hotstar’s streaming service now allows logins on up to ten devices in India.
To enforce the policy, the business has tested internally, and the implementation is planned to begin later this year. In order to address the issue of excessive device sharing, this approach aims to limit premium account logins to a maximum of four devices.
With the new limits in place, “some people will be incentivised to buy” their own subscriptions, the individual claimed, according to Reuters.
According to the source, Disney Hotstar initially had a tolerant stance towards the four-device login restriction in an effort to draw users who might initially access the service through account sharing before switching to purchasing their own subscriptions.
Disney Hotstar has seen substantial growth in popularity in India, along with streaming goliaths like Netflix and Amazon as well as Mukesh Ambani’s JioCinema. According to Media Partners Asia, the Indian market is anticipated to grow into a sizable $7 billion sector for the streaming business by 2027.
Disney Hotstar, which boasts almost 50 million members, is the market leader in India, according to industry data.
According to Reuters’ second source, Disney Hotstar in India decided not to strictly enforce its four-device login policy in order to not inconvenience its premium subscribers. Only 5% of the company’s premium members were discovered to be logging in from more than four devices, according to internal data.
According to Reuters, which cited the second source, the future device login restriction will also apply to Disney Hotstar’s less expensive plan, limiting its usage to two devices.
According to research firm Media Partners Asia, Disney’s Hotstar dominated India’s streaming industry from January 2022 to March 2023 with a sizable 38% share of viewers.
According to a source with direct information, Walt Disney is engaged in preliminary internal discussions about alternatives to sell or find a joint venture partner for its India digital and TV company.
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