Disney Star is an Indian media and entertainment company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It operates a portfolio of television channels in multiple Indian languages and the streaming service JioHotstar (formerly Disney+ Hotstar). The company is one of the largest broadcasters in India, with a presence across general entertainment, sports, news, and movie genres.
| Name | Disney Star |
|---|---|
| Former names | Star India |
| Type | Media and entertainment company |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Industry | Broadcasting, streaming, sports media |
| Country | India |
Background
The company traces its origins to Star TV, founded by Hong Kong–based Hutchvision in 1991, which entered the Indian market in the early 1990s. The Indian operations were later consolidated under Star India Private Limited. In 1993, Star TV was acquired by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and in 2013 the broadcasting assets were transferred to 21st Century Fox following the corporate split of News Corporation.
In 2019, after The Walt Disney Company completed its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Star India became part of Disney's international operations. The company was subsequently rebranded as Disney Star.
Operations
Television
Disney Star runs a wide network of channels across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, and other Indian languages. Its flagship general entertainment brands include Star Plus, Star Bharat, Star Vijay, Star Maa, Star Jalsha, Asianet, Star Pravah, and Star Suvarna. The Star Gold and Star Movies brands cater to films, while sports programming is delivered through the Star Sports network.
Streaming
The company launched Hotstar in 2015 as its over-the-top streaming platform. Following Disney's acquisition, the service was rebranded as Disney+ Hotstar in 2020, integrating Disney's global content libraries. In 2024–2025, the streaming business was merged with Reliance's JioCinema to form JioHotstar under a joint venture between Disney and Reliance Industries.
Sports
Disney Star has held broadcasting rights for major sports properties in India, including cricket events of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Indian Premier League television rights, the Pro Kabaddi League, and the Hero Indian Super League, among others.
Joint venture with Reliance
In November 2024, The Walt Disney Company and Reliance Industries completed a merger of their Indian media assets, combining Star India and Viacom18 into a joint venture. The combined entity, in which Reliance holds a controlling stake, manages the television and digital businesses previously operated by Disney Star alongside Viacom18's channels and JioCinema.
Significance
Disney Star has been a major force in shaping Indian television since the 1990s, contributing to the expansion of satellite broadcasting, regional-language entertainment, and the digital streaming market. Its sports broadcasts, particularly of cricket, have set viewership records in India.
Related topics
- Star Plus
- Star Sports
- Disney+ Hotstar
- JioHotstar
- The Walt Disney Company
- Reliance Industries
- Viacom18
- Indian Premier League
References
- Wikidata entry: Q5919785