Disney+ Hotstar is one of the top streaming platforms in India, boasting a vast user base that spans across regional languages as well as English. However, there has been a recent decision by Hotstar to impose limitations on their users.
According to a report by Reuters, this particular development occurs precisely at a moment when Netflix, a rival streaming service, has initiated the process of notifying its subscribers in more than 100 countries regarding the implementation of supplementary fees for sharing the platform with individuals who are not part of their households.
At present, premium subscribers of Disney+ Hotstar account in India can enjoy logins on up to 10 devices, surpassing the initially stated limit of four devices on the website. Nevertheless, the company has recently conducted internal tests and plans to enforce the four-device login restriction in the near future. The main objective behind this decision is to incentivize more users to acquire individual subscriptions, as they may find it more advantageous once the new restrictions come into effect.
It is important to note that Hotstar experienced a significant decline in its subscribers, approximately 15-16 percent, from October 2022 to March 2024. This decline followed their decision to remove IPL (Indian Premier League) and HBO Max shows from the platform. But even this percentage hasn’t deterred the large population of Hotstar’s premium subscribers.
In India, currently, a premium subscriber can log into up to 10 devices. Disney+ Hotstar has conducted internal testing of the policy’s implementation and intends to begin enforcing it later this year by capping the number of login attempts per account at four. The primary objective behind this implementation is to attract and encourage subscribers to purchase their own premium accounts.
According to the second source, Disney+ Hotstar in India chose not to implement the four-device login policy in consideration of its premium users to avoid causing any inconvenience. The platform conducted an internal analysis and found that merely about 5% of its premium subscribers used more than four devices to log in.
As part of their new strategy, the planned restriction will extend to their more affordable plan as well. This means that usage will be limited to only two devices.
Alongside Netflix, Amazon Prime, and JioCinema, Disney+ Hotstar has witnessed an immense surge in popularity in India since the onset of the pandemic. As the OTT culture continues to flourish, Disney+ Hotstar is poised to grow even more popular, captivating a wider audience in the country.
