© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Most OTT platforms have in-house content and they also go beyond and above to partner with other studios to offer exclusive content on their platforms. This ranges from live sports streaming to onboarding a television network like HBO to add more value to its platform.
OTT players usually have a licensed agreement and these have to be renewed every once in a while. When both parties fail to come to a term, they usually go the other way, especially if there is a compelling offer from the competition. It looks like Disney+ Hotstar has failed to negotiate terms with HBO, which means, you won’t be able to stream HBO classics like Game of Thrones in India.
Disney+ Hotstar has officially confirmed that Home Box Office (HBO) content will not be accessible on Hotstar in India starting March 31. Given HBO Max is yet to launch in India, most of its content will not be available to Indians.
For the uninitiated, Amazon and HBO signed a deal back in December 2022, where, in select markets, users can subscribe to HBO Max within the Prime Video app via channels. Given HBO Max is unavailable in India, the service could soon launch here, where, in the US it costs $16 (Rs 1,314) a month for ad-free streaming, which makes it the most premium OTT subscription in the country.
All the HBO content on Hotstar will be available until the end of the month, so, if you have missed out on something, this could be the best time to catch up on the same. Also note that IPL 2023 will also be not streaming on Hotstar for the first time in years, and the same will be available for free in 4K resolution on Jio Cinemas.
