Disney to shut down 100 channels and switch to OTT

One of the largest global producers and presenters, Walt Disney, has decided to shut down 100 International channels and expand in their OTT space. For the uninitiated, they have already successfully launched Disney+Hotstar, which is one of the major online streaming platforms in India.

“The great majority of that content will migrate to Disney+,” Disney’s Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek confirmed. He stressed that switching most content to OTT remains their core strategy.

Disney has grown its content on OTT in the European countries through their Star brand. The brand, which gained popularity in the UK recently, has made a name in the US through Hulu and ESPN+.

Although Disney has shut down its sport content in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, the same has been thriving on their Indian platform Disney+Hotstar. Reportedly, nearly 30% of the users on the OTT platform are based in India itself.

More recently, Disney+Hotstar was in the news for launching Disney+ Quix, which consists of short films and series. The same was unveiled on May 7 for anybody who wishes to explore the platform free of cost.

Mandira Bedi starrer Six will be their latest offering. The web show, which stars her in the role of officer Ruhana Dhulap, revolves around the murder of a businessman named Kashish Sura. The series, also starring Nauheed Cyrusi, Dipannita Sharma and Sid Makkar in pivotal roles, will be available for free from May 27.

Apart from Disney+Hotstar, the major OTT platforms streaming Hindi and English content in India include the likes of Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Zee5 and Sony Liv.