The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is all set to kick start on October 5 in Ahmedabad, and Disney+ Hotstar is offering coverage of this year’s international championship in India for free. As we are getting closer to the 13th edition of the competition, Disney+ Hotstar has announced a new MaxView feature in association with the International Cricket Council (ICC). This functionality will allow cricket fans to watch the game in vertical mode on the OTT platform. Additionally, the streaming giant has updated its Android and iOS apps with a live feed tab, Scorecard tab, and AI-based video clarity enhancements.
Disney+ Hotstar, via press release on Tuesday (October 3), announced the addition of new features for mobile users. The streaming platform is offering a new MaxView feature in collaboration with the ICC. This functionality would allow users to watch the game in vertical mode (9X14 portrait view), facilitating a one-handed viewing experience. The live feed tab and Scorecard tab will also be available in vertical mode, along with vertical ad formats. Users can avail of single-player frames in MaxView mode to get a closer look at their favourite player. It will also show a split view.
Further, the company claims that the updated Disney+ Hotstar app has been optimised to reduce data usage while ensuring high-quality streaming. The platform has also added an AI-based filter at the backend to improve the viewing experience on mobile devices.
Furthermore, the OTT platform has added an always-on cricket scorecard pill. This update will let users keep track of live games while accessing other content on the platform. Additionally, Disney+ Hotstar is bringing a new content discovery feature known as the Coming Soon tray. Viewers can set reminders for upcoming content with this facility. Furthermore, the platform will segregate free and paid content in separate trays by providing free callouts on the homepage trays.
During the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the platform will also show “free badges” that will assist non-subscribed customers in discovering content available to them for free.
The Disney+ Hotstar Super subscription in India starts at Rs. 899 a year with advertisements, offering a 1080p experience. The ad-free Premium package costs Rs. 1,499 and supports Ultra-HD resolution streaming. The Mobile subscription with ad support is priced at Rs. 499 a year.
