Disney targets Malaysians next with launch of Disney+ Hotstar streaming service Details 04 May 2021
The Walt Disney Company is launching Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia on 1 June with Astro as the official distributor. Disney+ Hotstar launches with several iconic entertainment brands, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. At the same time, the company has entered into a series of multi-year agreements with Malaysian studios such as Skop Productions, Revolution Media Films, Primeworks Studios, WAU Animation, Act 2 Pictures, Les’ Copaque Production, and Red Films, among others, underpinning its support for the local film community.
According to Disney, the multi-year agreements mean Disney+ Hotstar will be the exclusive home to some of the upcoming blockbusters in Malaysia, which will skip theatres and launch straight on the streaming service. They include
Disney To Close 18 Channels In Asia Amid Pivot To Streaming
Disney’s strategic shift from linear tv to streaming continues apace. On October 1, the company will close 18 channels across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong as part of a “global effort to pivot towards a [direct-to-consumer]-first model and further grow our streaming services.”
The networks due to close include Disney Channel and Disney Junior, as well as many that came under the Disney umbrella as part of its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019, like Fox, FX, Fox Movies, and Fox Family Movies. Only four Disney-owned linear channels in Asia will remain: Star Chinese Channel, Star Chinese Movies, National Geographic Channel, and Nat Geo Wild.
Disney s move to shut down channels another blow for pay-TV operators in Singapore, say analysts Toggle share menu
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File photo of the StarHub and Singtel signs. (Photos: AFP, Reuters)
30 Apr 2021 02:40AM) Share this content
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SINGAPORE: Disney s move to shut down several of its sports and movie channels in Southeast Asia represents another blow for pay-television operators in Singapore, analysts said.
The move means pay-TV subscriptions for StarHub and Singtel are likely to continue declining, as more and more content moves to over-the-top (OTT) streaming services like Netflix and Disney+, they explained.
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But this does not mean the death of pay-TV in Singapore, the analysts noted, pointing out that telcos can tweak their business models to compete with streaming services, albeit with difficulty.
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