• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Disney’s Cricket Craze

Disney+ Hotstar

Last April, Disney told investors that it expected Disney+ to have 60 to 90 million subscribers by 2024.

As of December, the streaming service had already amassed 87 million subscribers. Much of that growth is thanks to cricket.

When Disney acquired 21st Century Fox for $71 billion in 2019, it absorbed Fox-owned TV network Star India. In 2015, Star India paid $2.55 billion for digital broadcast rights to the Indian Premier League from 2018 to 2022.

Star India’s video-on-demand app Hotstar also fell under Disney’s control after the Fox acquisition. In April 2020, the service was rebranded as Disney+ Hotstar.

  • It was the only service in India streaming matches of last year’s IPL season.
  • Disney+ added 8 million Hotstar subscribers at the time of the rebrand, and had another 10 million Disney+ Hotstar sign-ups in the following six months. 
  • By the end of 2020, Disney+ Hotstar subscribers reached 26 million — 30% of Disney+ customers worldwide.

“If you were going to name a [league] that Disney will be extremely keen to keep, I’d say it’s the IPL,” Vivek Couto, director of consultancy Media Partners Asia, told Fortune.

Where Disney is finding success, other companies are close behind.

  • In November, Amazon won rights to broadcast New Zealand Cricket in India through the 2025-26 season.
  • After an unsuccessful attempt to purchase IPL rights for $600 million in 2017, Facebook bought digital content rights for the International Cricket Council in 2019.

Disney now projects its streaming service will have 260 million subscribers by 2024, with Disney+ Hotstar viewers accounting for 40% of that number.

“India is a cricket-crazy country, and it’s always been part of our strategy,” Disney+ Hotstar President Sunil Rayan said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of a Wilson basketball and the Dallas Wings logo during the game between the Wings and the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center.

Democratic Women’s Caucus Urges WNBA to End CBA Stalemate

The league and WNBPA must reach an agreement by Oct. 31.
Adam Silver

NFL Attempts to Aid NBA in Video Privacy Lawsuit

The NBA is being accused of unlawfully sharing user data with Facebook. 
Teammates embrace during matchup in The Hundred cricket league

Google, Microsoft, Adobe CEOs Buy Stakes in Cricket League

The England and Wales Cricket Board raised £520m by selling team stakes.
Sundar Pichai

Google, Microsoft CEOs Team Up in Attempt to Buy Cricket Team

Five Silicon Valley CEOs have come together for a joint ownership bid.

Featured Today

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with her teammates after her last second shot to take the lead 90-88 against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2025.
exclusive

Standoff Over WNBA’s Future Has Dominated Finals

CBA negotiations have stolen the spotlight from the Aces’ dominant performance.
Paul Cartier
October 5, 2025

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Kōloa Rum Company Rum Rusher
September 27, 2025

Panthers Bubbly, Jets Wine, Manning Whiskey: The Sports Booze Boom

A sommelier dives into the sports booze trend—and tries Jets wine.
MLS

MLS Publishes Unchecked AI-Generated Game Recaps

Humans are not reviewing the articles for accuracy.
Sep 5, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia embraces after their match in the semifinal of the men’s singles at the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
October 13, 2025

Six Kings Slam Returns With Record $6M Prize, Netflix Deal

The Six Kings Slam is held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Micah Parsons
exclusive
October 14, 2025

NFL Scorigami Creator Blames Glitches on Twitter Platform Changes

The bot has been glitching all NFL season, and fans have noticed.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
Mar 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the NBA logo and NBA app logo and basketballs in front of the base during warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center.
October 13, 2025

NBA Will Take Over League Pass After WBD Divorce

The league now has full operational control of those media assets.
Aces
October 10, 2025

WNBA Finals Most Viewed In 25 Years Despite Possible Aces Sweep

Games 2 and 3 have averaged more than 1.2 million viewers.
Spectrum
October 10, 2025

ESPN Streaming Service at Core of New Spectrum Plan

The No. 1 U.S. distributor further blends linear and streaming TV.
exclusive
October 10, 2025

Alyssa Lang Joins ESPN NBA Sideline Reporter Ranks

Lang has been a host and reporter for ESPN and SEC Network since 2018.