HBO favorites like Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, and Euphoria are set to depart from Disney+ Hotstar by the end of March 2023. In response to a tweet, Hotstar’s support team verified that starting from March 31, HBO shows and movies will no longer be available for streaming on the platform. This comes as a blow to Indian viewers who relied on the streaming service for WarnerMedia content after HBO cable TV channels were discontinued in the country in 2020. On the bright side, Disney material, including Marvel and Star Wars content, will still be accessible on Disney+ Hotstar.
According to the tweet, “Starting 31st March, HBO content will be unavailable on Disney+ Hotstar. You can continue enjoying Disney+ Hotstar’s vast library of content spanning over 100,000 hours of TV Shows and Movies in 10 languages and coverage of major global sporting events.” It’s worth noting that this decision aligns with Disney CEO Bob Iger’s restructuring and cost-cutting plans, which include laying off 7,000 employees.
The original licensing agreement between the two parties was signed in late 2015 when the platform was known as “Hotstar” only. This deal brought HBO content to the streaming service, with Game of Thrones being a major attraction. The show began streaming on Hotstar in India immediately after its US airing.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) was another significant source of traffic for Disney+ Hotstar, but it suffered a setback when Viacom18 acquired the digital streaming rights for the next five years. However, Disney Star still holds the TV broadcast rights for IPL.
Furthermore, Hotstar decided not to renew the streaming rights for Formula 1 in 2023, and that content has moved to F1 TV Pro. However, other sports content such as the Premier League, the Indian Super League, and select international cricket matches are still available for streaming.
There were indications of internal changes happening prior to the initial report. Usually, all HBO shows would appear on Disney+ Hotstar in India. However, when The Last of Us was about to premiere on January 15 around the world, there were no banners or advertisements for the series on the platform. The PR and support teams were unsure if the series would even be released in India. Surprisingly, on January 16, the pilot episode was suddenly dropped without any prior announcement, much to the delight of fans. The series has since followed a weekly release schedule, except for episode 5, which was released two days earlier to avoid conflicting with the Super Bowl LVII event.
With the highly anticipated fourth and final season of Succession set to launch on Disney+ Hotstar on March 26, it remains to be seen how the company will handle it. They may choose to release the first episode and then remove all HBO content, or they might not premiere the pilot at all. Regardless, if you haven’t caught up on popular HBO shows like The Last of Us or The White Lotus, now would be a good time, as there is currently no confirmed destination for HBO content. Industry analysts speculate that Amazon Prime Video is a likely candidate, either packaging it with their existing content or offering it as a separate paid channel, similar to AMC+.
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Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
