Hotstar set to launch sports subscription service
Armed with a rich list of sports properties, Star India is planning to launch a sports subscription service on its over-the-top (OTT) platform Hotstar.
Hotstar has already rolled out its maiden premium service for English content.
A premium sports service is set for launch in the next few months.
“In India, Star’s groundbreaking Hotstar mobile video product recently crossed 60 million downloads and just launched a premium subscription tier, leveraging our exclusive rights to HBO originals, films and the Fox library.
And over the next few months, the service will also include a premium sports offering,” 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch told analysts.
The premium subscription service featuring English content launched by Hotstar is available for Rs 199 per month. It features premium HBO shows including ‘Game of Thrones’ and the movie library of Fox.
In fact, the sixth season of ‘Game of Thrones’ is available on Hotstar within minutes of its US airing.
Star India holds top-notch broadcast rights to cricket boards of India, England and Australia.
It also has rights to telecast ICC matches, including the World Cups. In football, Star holds rights to English Premier League (EPL) and Bundesliga.
It also has rich repertoire of local sporting league rights including Pro Kabaddi League, Indian Super League, Indian Badminton League and Hockey India League. Additionally, it owns the digital rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) globally excluding US.
The potential of a sports subscription service could be gauged from Star India CEO Uday Shankar’s recent statement at FICCI Frames 2016 that EPL on Hotstar had outstripped viewership on TV.
“EPL was watched by more people on Hotstar than on television.
Even for a mass sport like cricket, in the larger cities, Hotstar’s watch time is now starting to reach 50% of television.
I urge you to reflect on the potential of that statistic,” he had stated. 21st Century Fox, which has hedged its bets on the Indian market, is investing heavily in the digital business.
The sports business under Star Sports is also witnessing heavy investments.
Read more at: http://www.televisionpost.com/technology/hotstar-set-to-launch-sports-subscription-service/ | TelevisionPost.com
Armed with a rich list of sports properties, Star India is planning to launch a sports subscription service on its over-the-top (OTT) platform Hotstar.
Hotstar has already rolled out its maiden premium service for English content.
A premium sports service is set for launch in the next few months.
“In India, Star’s groundbreaking Hotstar mobile video product recently crossed 60 million downloads and just launched a premium subscription tier, leveraging our exclusive rights to HBO originals, films and the Fox library.
And over the next few months, the service will also include a premium sports offering,” 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch told analysts.
The premium subscription service featuring English content launched by Hotstar is available for Rs 199 per month. It features premium HBO shows including ‘Game of Thrones’ and the movie library of Fox.
In fact, the sixth season of ‘Game of Thrones’ is available on Hotstar within minutes of its US airing.
Star India holds top-notch broadcast rights to cricket boards of India, England and Australia.
It also has rights to telecast ICC matches, including the World Cups. In football, Star holds rights to English Premier League (EPL) and Bundesliga.
It also has rich repertoire of local sporting league rights including Pro Kabaddi League, Indian Super League, Indian Badminton League and Hockey India League. Additionally, it owns the digital rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) globally excluding US.
The potential of a sports subscription service could be gauged from Star India CEO Uday Shankar’s recent statement at FICCI Frames 2016 that EPL on Hotstar had outstripped viewership on TV.
“EPL was watched by more people on Hotstar than on television.
Even for a mass sport like cricket, in the larger cities, Hotstar’s watch time is now starting to reach 50% of television.
I urge you to reflect on the potential of that statistic,” he had stated. 21st Century Fox, which has hedged its bets on the Indian market, is investing heavily in the digital business.
The sports business under Star Sports is also witnessing heavy investments.
Read more at: http://www.televisionpost.com/technology/hotstar-set-to-launch-sports-subscription-service/ | TelevisionPost.com
