by 
Hotstar is a popular Indian streaming service that offers a vast library of Bollywood TV shows, movies, live sports, and original programming.
Table of Contents
How to Watch and Access Hotstar India in Canada
Hotstar is available in Canada, but its Indian version is known to have more content. If you prefer to stream the Indian version of Hotstar in Canada, you will need to use a VPN on an Indian server. Check out the three steps below to get started:
1) Connect your VPN to an Indian server. (ExpressVPN is our top VPN recommendation)
2) Sign up for a Hotstar India account.
3) Select a show and enjoy streaming!
Learn More About VPNs
While some countries have laws in place that make it illegal to use a reliable VPN app, Canada is not one of them. Using a VPN is legal in Canada; in every province and territory, it’s 100% legal to use a VPN app so you don’t have to worry about breaking any laws by signing up for a VPN. VPNs are used to create secure, private connections.
VPNs come in various formats from dozens of companies, and there are many cheap VPNs available. The best companies charge an affordable monthly fee, and you can often find deals online for deep discounts on annual and multi-year packages.
However, despite VPNs being reasonably priced, there is still a huge demand for free VPN services. Also, mobile VPNs are available for download to Apple and Android devices for an affordable monthly subscription and home networks, while small businesses can also use VPN routers that cover all the devices that connect to them.
What’s The Difference Between Hotstar in India and Hotstar Canada Subscription?
Hotstar India, which is known to have a much more comprehensive content library, is not available in Canada.
As a subsidiary of Disney India, Disney Plus Hotstar is one of the “hottest” streaming platforms if you are interested in watching Indian dramas, Bollywood movies, or live sports like IPL cricket. The platform is known as Disney Plus Hotstar in India and Indonesia and Hotstar in North America.
The service became available in North America in 2017. However, many of our viewers mentioned that their friends and family back home in India have a much better content library compared to what’s available in Canada.
If you’re subscribed to the same platform, you might be wondering why you have vastly different content libraries. Well, the availability of content varies as the streaming rights for sports, TV shows, and movies differ between Canada and India.
Disney Plus Hotstar Overview
Disney Plus Hotstar is the popular Indian video streaming service owned by the Star network, rebranded to Disney Plus Hotstar in early 2020 after Disney took over Star India through their acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The company decided on the rebrand right before the launch of Disney Plus in India in March 2020.
The company also made the announcement before the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket season, a favorite Disney Plus Hotstar viewing event. The rebranding included a new logo, replacing the black and yellow theme with the royal blue and white colors for the Disney Plus Hotstar platform.
With the recent acquisition, Disney Plus Hotstar became another brand under the Walt Disney Company, along with Star India and Fox Star Studios. Unfortunately, the 2020 IPL season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the streaming service still has plenty to offer subscribers.
Hotstar wants to dub or subtitle the entire Disney archive of movies and shows in local languages, including Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu. Right now, all Hotstar originals are available in all seven Indian national languages.
Disney Plus Hotstar offers more than 100,000 hours of content across nine languages and covers every major sporting event. Disney Plus Hotstar utilizes innovative streaming technology and multi-device compatibility, making it one of the best online destinations for Indian consumers.
Where Is Hotstar Available?
The standalone Hotstar platform is available in countries like Canada, the UK, and Singapore.
However, the Disney Plus Hotstar platform is only available in India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
After the platform’s official launch in early April 2020, Disney announced that more than 8.5 million subscribers signed up for the Disney Plus Hotstar Premium tier in India.
Disney Plus Hotstar has over 40 million active users, and it’s the largest streaming platform available in India. Disney Plus has over 150 million global subscribers, and around 16% of them reside in India. At present, there are no plans to expand the Disney Plus Hotstar platform to other regions. Therefore, if you want to watch Disney Plus Hotstar in Canada, you’ll need a workaround.
However, Hotstar is available in Canada for a CAD$49.99 annual subscription fee. The Disney Plus Hotstar app is also on Roku and Android TVs.
How Much Does Hotstar Cost?
Hotstar only offers one subscription plan in Canada, which costs CAD$49.99/year. This gives users unlimited access to Hotstar’s extensive library for a year. Sadly, Hotstar does not have any free trial promo for new users.
How much Does Disney Plus Hotstar Cost?
Disney Plus Hotstar’s pricing varies depending on the ads, number of devices, and video and audio quality. Check out Disney Plus Hotstar’s plans and pricing below:
| Plan | Monthly | Quarterly | Annual | Number of devices | Video quality | Ads |
| Mobile | – | ₹143 | ₹499 | 1 device | HD | Yes |
| Super | – | – | ₹899 | 2 devices | Full HD 1080p | Yes |
| Premium | ₹299 | ₹499 | ₹1499 | 4 devices | 4K 2160p | No |
If we consider that a Disney Plus annual subscription is $119.99, you will understand why Hotstar requires huge subscription volumes to make it financially viable for the Walt Disney Company to operate. Hotstar revenues are around $39 million monthly, which is just over a tenth of the $333 million Disney Plus earns in a financial year. While Hotstar might seem like a barely profitable division, the Disney company persists with the deal for several reasons.
Hotstar could work as a standalone platform on the Disney network, similar to Hulu and ESPN. However, the market reach is what interests the Disney company. By merging with Hotstar, Disney instantly gets access to the entire user base of over 300 million subscribers.
That’s a significant competitive advantage in these markets, unlike the US, where Disney Plus has a long journey left to catch up to the leaders like Netflix. The Indian market is highly competitive, featuring more than a dozen large players.
Top Rated Shows on Hotstar India
While Hotstar and Disney Plus Hotstar are different services, there are a few similarities.
Disney Plus Hotstar has more content, including the entire Disney Plus movie and series library, while Hotstar solely focuses on Bollywood content.
Some of the most popular channels available on Disney Plus Hotstar and Hotstar include:
- Star Plus
- Star Parvah
- ABP News
- Star Sports
- HBO Original Programming
- Star World
- Hotstar Specials
- Fox Life
- 9XM
- Star Bharat
Why Doesn’t Canada Get All the Hotstar Content?
Canada doesn’t get all the Hotstar content available on the Indian version. Disney Plus Hotstar is not available in Canada, and the company uses regional geo-blocks, limiting your content choices from locations outside of India.
Other Popular Streaming Services
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service owned by Google. Unlike most other platforms, YouTube TV has a Cloud DVR feature, which allows users to record their favorite shows and watch them later. However, it is only available in the United States, though you can bypass this restriction by using some of the best VPN services.
Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus is a video streaming service by ViaCom CBS. It is home to shows like “Big Brother” and “South Park.” Paramount Plus is a great way to watch movies and TV shows online, with a library of titles that includes new and classic releases.
Discovery Plus Canada
Discovery Plus Canada is a great way to watch your favorite shows, movies, and documentaries, including channels like Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet, and many more. You can watch Discovery Plus in Canada by visiting their site and signing up for an account or by using a Canadian version of the app. And if you want to watch the American version of Discovery Plus, you can always use a VPN app.
Sling TV
Sling TV is a live-streaming site that provides access to select channels for a monthly fee. The service offers various packages such as ESPN, AMC, TNT, HGTV, HBO, and Cinemax. Sling TV can be watched outside of the US by using a VPN app, which will allow you to stream Sling TV content without any restrictions.
Peacock TV
Peacock TV is a video streaming site that offers shows from NBC Universal like “Yellowstone” and “The Office.” It also allows access to sports coverage like Premier League soccer matches. However, Peacock TV is only available in the US, but users outside of the US can still access it by using a VPN.
Max
Unlike other streaming services, Max relies on past content to attract future subscribers, such as classic HBO shows like “The Sopranos,” “The White Lotus” and many more. Warner Bros has no plans on releasing Max to Canadians, but a VPN can solve your issue.
ESPN Plus
ESPN Plus gives you access to world-class sporting events. ESPN Plus excels in its coverage of niche sports such as MMA, Boxing, Lacrosse, Canadian Football, and many more. Sadly, ESPN Plus is not currently available for Canadians.
FAQs
Is Hotstar Available in Canada?
Yes, Hotstar is available in Canada. However, the content offered on the Canadian version of Hotstar is different from that offered on the Indian version of Hotstar. The Canadian version offers a limited selection of shows and movies, while the Indian Hotstar version offers a much wider selection of content, including live cricket matches.
How Do I Get Disney Plus Hotstar in Canada?
VPNs are a great way to get around regional restrictions on streaming services like Disney Hotstar. By connecting to a VPN server in a country where the service is available, you can trick the service into thinking you’re located there. This will allow you to stream content that’s normally unavailable in your region.
There are a number of VPNs that offer servers in India, so finding one that meets your needs shouldn’t be too difficult. Once you’ve signed up for a VPN service, simply connect to one of its Indian Hotstar servers and start streaming Disney Hotstar content. Keep in mind that some VPNs may throttle your bandwidth, so be sure to test the service before subscribing.
How Many Devices Can I Have On Hotstar Canada?
A single Hotstar account can be used to simultaneously stream content on up to four devices. The app is available on smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming devices, and gaming consoles.
How Can I Get Hotstar on My TV?
There are a few ways to watch Disney Plus Hotstar on your TV. One way is to use a streaming device like Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire Stick. Hotstar is also available on smart TVs. You can find the app in the app store or search for “Hotstar.” Finally, you can use Chromecast to cast the Hotstar app from your phone or computer to your TV.
Is Disney Hotstar Worth It?
Disney Hotstar is a streaming site that offers movies, TV shows, and live sports. It’s a great way to watch your favorite content without commercials. You can also watch shows and movies as they air live. The app is available on Android and iOS devices.
Hotstar is an excellent option for people who want to watch Disney movies and TV shows. The app has a large selection of content, and you can watch it without commercials. You can also watch live broadcasts of your favorite shows and movies.
