Disney Plus Star is on! The new International streaming service from Disney Plus, dedicated exclusively to mature content for 18+ viewers, has announced the first slate of titles that will stream on the newly announced OTT platform from the Mouse House.
Star will launch with two original shows created especially for the newly minted streaming arm. They are suspense and thriller drama Big Sky from David E. Kelley (creator of The Undoing, Big Little Lies); and Love Victor, a spinoff of the 2018 film, Love, Simon. Along with the two originals, Disney Plus Star will host series such as 24, Lost, Desperate Housewives, How I Met Your Mother, Prison Break, The X-Files, Atlanta, Black-ish, the Die Hard film series, among others.
We had reported in November 2020 that Disney Plus is launching a separate streaming brand named Star, on its Disney Plus streaming platform, so that it can stream mature content for its adult audiences. Replicating the success of Disney Plus Hotstar in India, Disney will launch Star in Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore on February 23, 2021, as a fully integrated part of Disney+.
Star will be accessible as the sixth brand tile in the Disney Plus app, alongside Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Disney and National Geographic. Soon to be added is a new collection of renowned general entertainment series, movies, documentaries and more.
Standalone streaming service Star+ will launch in Latin America in June 2021, featuring series, movies as well as live sports. Star will only be available overseas, and not in the United States. Hulu will continue to be Disney’s platform of choice in the US, to stream mature content.
Disney has traditionally been a family-oriented production house. Its offerings are meant to be enjoyed along with the entire family, kids and all. By extension, Disney Plus also falls under the same category. But in today’s scenario, what with the intense streaming wars, a family streaming platform is just not enough. To actually and visibly make a dent in main rival Netflix’s subscriber base, Disney Plus needs to appear more appealing to its fickle audience – the young adults and millennials. It needs to prop its content library with the obvious – 18+ content. Mature content, coupled with the five offerings of Disney Plus – Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and National Geographic, will make the platform a powerful entertainment force, a force to reckon with for Netflix and gang.
Hence, Star, or more specifically, Disney Plus Star — which will be comparative to Hulu for Disney’s International direct-to-consumer streaming business. Hulu is owned by Disney, and offers mature streaming content. Rather than make Hulu international, Disney Plus is offering another option to its international subscribers, in the form of Disney+Star.
India and Indonesia are the two countries that already have Disney Plus Hotstar. It already offers 18+ content to viewers, and hosts all of the titles that will debut on Star.
Stay tuned to Binged.com for further news on Disney Plus’ new streaming arm Disney Plus Star.
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