For all the attention Disney has received trying to grow its sports streaming business with ESPN+ in the U.S., overlooked is the fact that the media giant already operates an over-the-top platform that captured an audience of more than 300 million international sports fans this year. Among the assets Disney acquired from Fox was Star India, whose direct-to-consumer Hotstar service hit that viewership number during the 2019 Indian Premier League cricket season.
Hotstar is one of two platforms, along with Willow TV, through which U.S. residents can watch the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, which started last week in England and Wales.