iWorld
Disney & Alibaba to launch OTT service in China
MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company has inked a multi-year licensing deal with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group to bring its digital subscription service DisneyLife to China via Alibaba’s online shopping site Tmall.
The Mickey Mouse-shaped device is priced at $125 for a one-year subscription and requires an Internet connection.
DisneyLife will provide Alibaba customers in China with an all-encompassing and immersive family friendly digital experience. The content will include Disney and Pixar’s movies, animation series, games, e-books, songs, travel services and Disney theme parks and resorts information.
Subscribers can access Disney merchandise and can also obtain information about, and plan a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland as well as Shanghai Disney Resort when it opens in 2016. In addition to the DisneyLife experience, shoppers can access other Alibaba products and services.
The Walt Disney Company, Greater China managing director Luke Kang said, “For nearly a century, Disney’s focus on quality storytelling and innovation has delivered audiences around the world the best stories, shared moments and extraordinary experiences. Disney and Alibaba share an ambition to exceed our audience’s expectations. DisneyLife directly connects us to China’s digital population and provides millions of kids and families the ability to explore and engage with Disney.”
“As we deliver on our goal to meet the needs of a consumers’ daily life, DisneyLife, launched by Ali Digital Entertainment Business Unit together with Disney, will provide the only holistic and trusted family friendly digital destination in China,” added Alibaba Digital Entertainment Business Unit general manager and Youku Tudou business group co-president of Wei Ming.
Gaming
Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons launch India’s first official F1 sim racing championship
Nationwide competition creates pathway from virtual racing to pro motorsport
MUMBAI: Formula 1 has teamed up with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to launch India’s first officially sanctioned F1 sim racing competition, marking a new step in the country’s growing motorsport ecosystem.
The championship, titled F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, will offer a structured national platform for sim racers, with participants competing on the official F1 25 across multiple stages. The competition will begin with online qualifiers, followed by city-based simulator rounds, before culminating in a national final in Mumbai this November.
Open to players across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, registrations for the event will begin on 30 April via the Mumbai Falcons app. The format mirrors real-world racing, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competitive structures aligned with the global series.
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said the initiative arrives at a time when interest in the sport is surging in India, adding that a structured sim racing platform could help identify and nurture the next generation of talent.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited managing director Ameet Gadhoke noted that the championship aligns with the team’s long-term goal of building a strong motorsport pipeline in the country and placing Indian talent on the global stage.
The launch also reflects broader momentum in esports, especially after its recognition under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. By bridging gaming and real-world racing, the initiative aims to offer aspiring drivers a credible entry point into professional motorsport.
With interest in Formula 1 steadily rising and conversations around its return to India gaining pace, the new championship could become a proving ground for future racing stars.
