HBO content like Game of Thrones and Succession to leave Hotstar soon

HYDERABAD: Disney+ Hotstar is the most-subscribed OTT platform in India. But it may lose its number one position sometime soon as it is losing the rights of the content which brought a significant subscriber base. After losing IPL rights a few months ago, Hotstar has now lost the rights to HBO content.

Last year, Hotstar failed to acquire the digital rights of IPL. It is a known fact that IPL is the primary reason for Hotstar's huge subscription base. But now, the IPL digital rights have gone into the hands of Viacom 18 Group. Jio Cinema will stream IPL this year.

Apart from that, Hotstar is now losing the rights to HBO content as well. Various renowned HBO shows like Game of Thrones, Succession, The Sopranos, Euphoria and The Wire will not be available on Hotstar from April 1st. These are the shows which brought Hotstar a huge premium subscription base. Now, after losing the rights to HBO content, there will be a significant drop in Hotstar premium subscriptions for sure.

Reportedly, HBO content may shift to Amazon Prime Video in India soon. We also hear that access to these shows will need an add-on subscription. However, there is no official confirmation about it as of now.