Back Disney+ Hotstar offers free mobile streaming of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and the Asia Cup.

Disney+ Hotstar stated on Friday that the Asia Cup and ICC Men's Cricket World Cup events will be made available as free-to-view to all mobile phone users accessing their programme, in an effort to compete with Mukesh Ambani JioCinema's expansion in the country.

The decision by Disney+Hotstar coincides with Ambani, the richest man in Asia, placing significant bets on the live streaming of sporting events in recent months.

Disney+Hotstar's CEO, Sajith Sivanandan, told Exchange4 Media, "Disney+Hotstar has continued to lead India's quickly developing OTT market, and because to the numerous innovations we've implemented to improve the viewing experience, we've been able to please fans all over the world. We feel that by making the Asia Cup and the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup accessible to a larger audience, we will be able to expand the ecosystem as a whole ".

The Indian Premier League final in 2023 attracted a record number of viewers on the recently created JioCinema, the streaming service run by Ambanis. The cricket competition was available for free watching on JioCinema, which served as the IPL 2023's official streaming partner.

The IPL digital streaming rights from 2023 to 2027 were purchased by Viacom18, a Reliance company, for about $2.9 billion.

Ambani's media company outbid businesses like Disney to secure the IPL's digital rights. There is now a paid subscriber exodus from Disney in India.

JioCinema has already begun charging for content after acquiring the rights to HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. shows as it competes with titans like Walt Disney Co. and Netflix Inc. in the sizable Indian market. Ambani's conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd. has ambitions to become a global media behemoth.