iWorld
Disney+ Hotstar offers free mobile viewing for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar announced today that the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be available to stream ‘Free on Mobile’ for those using the Disney+ Hotstar app. This move underscores the streaming platform’s continued commitment towards making sports more accessible to diverse audiences. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is the growth vehicle for the sport, of fast-paced, high-energy cricket, evoking profound pride within the global sports community.
Commenting on this, Disney+ Hotstar India head Sajith Sivanandan said, “By offering the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 for free on mobile, we aim to make the game of cricket more accessible, reach a wider audience across the country and ensure that none of the sporting action is missed. No sport works as a better catalyst than cricket in bringing people together. Last year’s Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, where we offered both tournaments for free on mobile, allowed us to serve newer audience segments helping us to significantly expand viewership.”
During the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, streamed free on mobile via the Disney+ Hotstar app, concurrency records were broken five times, with the highest record of 5.9 cr peak concurrency witnessed during the finals between Team India and Team Australia. For the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, Disney+ Hotstar in collaboration with the ICC, introduced MaxView, offering users the option to stream matches on the go in vertical mode. With the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the platform will once again have an array of features to elevate the cricket-watching experience.
The first match will take place between the USA and Canada on June 2, 2024, at 6:00 AM IST. The ninth edition of the tournament will be hosted by the West Indies and the USA, with the event featuring 20 teams competing across 55 games for the right to be crowned ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 champions.
Watch the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 live and free on mobile starting June 2 on Disney+ Hotstar. The tournament will also be broadcast live on Star Sports Network
iWorld
JioHotstar enters micro-drama space with 100 shows under Tadka banner
Short-form push targets 300M users as content meets commerce in new format
MUMBAI: JioStar has made a bold play in India’s fast-growing micro-drama space, rolling out over 100 short-form shows under its new Tadka banner on JioHotstar, timed with the massive viewership surge of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The scale of the launch signals clear intent. Rather than testing the waters, the company has dived in headfirst, releasing a wide slate of content on day one. Each show is designed for quick consumption, with episodes running 60 to 90 seconds in a vertical format tailored for mobile-first audiences.
The move comes as India’s micro-drama market, currently valued at around $300 million, is projected to grow tenfold to over $3 billion by 2030. Globally, the format has already proven its mettle, with China’s micro-drama sector recording explosive growth in recent years.
What sets this rollout apart is its built-in monetisation strategy. The shows are free to watch and ad-supported, with brand integrations woven directly into storylines from the outset. It reflects a broader shift where content and commerce are increasingly intertwined, rather than operating in silos.
The timing is equally strategic. With more than 300 million users already tuning in for IPL action, JioHotstar is effectively turning cricket’s biggest stage into a discovery engine for its new format.
The company is not entering an empty arena. Early movers like Kuku TV, MX Player and platforms backed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises have already laid the groundwork, building audiences and validating demand for snackable storytelling.
Now, with scale, distribution and advertiser interest aligning, the big players are stepping in. For JioStar, Tadka may well serve as a proving ground for the next evolution of digital entertainment, where every minute counts and every second sells.
If the bet pays off, India’s next big content wave might just arrive in under 90 seconds.
