Is Disney+Hotstar Following Jio's Footsteps? Rumours Suggest Streamer Might Offer Free Streaming Of ICC CWC Matches

There is one major difference though between free streaming offered by JioCinama in IPL 2023 and Disney+Hotstar's rumoured free streaming of Asia Cup and World Cup matches.

The latest buzz around the rumour mill is that the marquee cricket tournaments- Asia Cup 2023 as well as the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, could be made available as free-to-stream to all mobile phone users by Disney+Hostar. The decision, if confirmed, will follow a record-breaking Television viewership by Disney Star in IPL 2023 following which they are mulling to lift the payment requirements for the two-much anticipated cricket tournaments. An estimated 540 million mobile users could then easily access the two most eagerly awaited international cricket tournaments of the year.

Even though there is not an official confirmation yet, if indeed such a move materalises, it should be seen in the context of JioCinema's uprecedented growth during IPL 2023. Notably, while Disney Star had the television broadcast rights of the tournament, JioCinema had acquired the digital streaming rights and offered free streaming across mobile networks. But while Jio had allowed free streaming on all smart devices, Disney+Hotstar's reported move caters only to the smartphone user base.



"Disney+ Hotstar has remained at the forefront of the rapidly evolving OTT industry in India and the various innovations we have introduced to continue enhancing the viewer experience has allowed us to delight our audiences across the region. Making the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup available to a wider audience, we believe, will help us grow the overall eco-system,” uncorroborated media reports quoted Sajith Sivanandan, Head, Disney+ Hotstar as saying.

Meanwhile, while the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup later this year is scheduled to be played in India in October-November which will be preceded by the Asia Cup 2023, there is still no clarity on where the continental tournament be played this year. This is because even as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) remain the designated hosts of Asia Cup, India have remained firm on their stance of not travelling to their neighbouring country. Moreover, even their proposed "Hybrid model" has apparently been rejected by Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan along with India. 

A few reports had even claimed that Pakistan might pull out of Asia Cup 2023 but further clarity on that matter is awaited. In case, only one country gets to host Asia Cup, Sri Lanka has emerged as a clear favourite among the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) nations.