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Hotstar US subscription review 2022

Notice:- Hotstar USA, has discontinued its services from 01 Sept 2021. You can read all details regarding Hotstar content migration to alternative streaming services, refunds and other details by clicking here.

Hotstar US is one of the top content streaming applications available in the market. The era of television is almost at its end. And the star network is trying to make the most of it with its streaming platform. More users are shifting to smartphones. Everyone likes their content on the go, at the convince of their hand.

This streaming service is a chance for the network to not only retain its audience but build on it as well. As cable or Dish services are overshadowed by streaming services. So much so that some of the popular content is exclusively available on these streaming services and not on cable.

Hotstar Availability in Countries

One of the largest entertainment networks in the world, the star network targets a very large audience. As it covers content relevant to almost all parts of the globe. From sporting events to internationally released movies and TV shows. Earlier the It was available in India. However, recently the app is only available in four countries.

  • India
  • America (us.hotstar.com)
  • Canada (ca.hotstar.com)
  • United Kingdom (hotstar.com /gb/)

Though it is available to these countries, certain content may not be available everywhere. Content owned by Star network is accessible to all Hotstar users in the USA, UK, Canada and India. But content such as movies and tv shows from other producers such as HBO, Fox and Disney might not be available in the USA.

Hotstar Subscription plans prices

Hotstar subscription prices vary from country to country. It is the cheapest in India and offers the largest content library in India. While it is costliest in the UK and has limited content when compared to India, USA and Canada. Hotstar US subscription costs $49.99 a year. There is only one subscription plan for Hotstar US subscribers.

You can check all details of Hotstar US subscription plans by clicking this link. It has two membership plans in the UK. One plan is monthly that costs £5.99 a month and the other is yearly subscription costing £49.99 a year.

Check out Hotstar UK subscription plans by clicking this link.

It offers streaming on two screen at a time in all countries irrespective of the subscription plan you have chosen.

Hotstar app features

Although the content can be accessed from the website as well (which runs as smoothly as the application). The hotstar comes with its own benefits. Easily available on all app stores (play store, apple store), it unlocks many features that are not available on the website.

For instance, certain content is not available for free on the website but is on the application. Such as, the English premier league(soccer) live matches can be viewed for free on the mobile app but need premium access on the website.

Similarly, the app has tie-ups with many other apps. Such as Swiggy, food delivery app. This helps the user to order food without switching between the apps. Hotstar India allows users to order food while watching their content.

The in app features makes the entire viewing experience simple and easy.

  • The skip intro option helps you ignore the theme song or the intro music, if you are not a fan, and skip directly to where the action begins.
  • The forward and back keys can be used to skip or rewind 10 sec.
  • The setting option on the player, helps you chose between the quality, ranging from 144p to 1080p. By default the quality is set to auto, depending on the network.
  • The setting menu also has the option of adding subtitles or changing language(if available in other languages).
  • The recently viewed panel on the home screen makes it easy to keep a track of your viewing.
  • The related content recommendations help find new content less tiresome.
  • Content can be downloaded but for a duration on 48 hours only. After that, the content automatically is removed from the downloads list.

Wishlist feature

With more producers focusing to put their work on exclusive display, new weekly episodes and much-anticipated content might be lost to the user. Do not worry, Hotstar US got you covered. The app provides an option to add the content to a wish list.

This will allow the app to notify you whenever the new content is available or to buy a subscription on time. (if you are out of one). The feature also acts as a bookmark for shows that you might be interested in for later viewing.

Sporting events on Hotstar US

With the star network launching not one but four sports channels. There is a lot of sports to go around. From the Indian premier league to the English premier league, Hotstar US covers almost all major sporting events on the planet, that include

  • Cricket
  • Tennis
  • Badminton
  • Football
  • Formula 1
  • E-sports
  • Martial Arts
  • Hockey
  • Athletics
  • Kabaddi
  • Golf
  • Swimming
  • Table tennis

Watch and play on Hotstar US

The most recent update of the Hotstar App came with a new feature. With cricket events such as IPL and ICC cricket world cup approaches, the app offered a unique experience to the user. The viewers, if not on full-screen mode, could see certain options on the bottom of their screens. These options are the likely occurrences on the next ball, 1/2/3 or 4/6 or wicket or no/wide ball.

Correctly predicting the outcome grants the user points. The more unlikely the outcome the higher the points. Each over serves as a round and at the end of each round, the scores are compiled. Multipliers are also added on consecutive correct guesses.

The interface provides a chat option as well. This helps the user to chat with their friends while viewing and also see their guesses in real-time.
Also read
Which one is best. Hotstar Vs Amazon prime Vs Netflix.

Prizes offered to winners

Here is the tricky part. The points collected are only valid if you complete the rounds or you stick around till the end of the match. The tie-ups with other apps allow Hostar app to give away many prizes. The points earned during the match work as an app currency and can be used for micro transactions to buy cash backs and discounts.

Needless to say, there is a 1st, 2nd, 3rd prize but the Hotstar app ensures that each participant gets something and comes back to try their luck again. The prizes are only available for live events.

Hotstar VIP

Hotstar VIP

It offers an ad-free service in the form of Hotstar VIP. Although It already had a premium package. The VIP membership differs from the premium.

Both memberships offer ad-free content. However, live streaming of sporting events contains ads. The major difference comes in the form of price and access. Hotstar VIP plan is not available in the USA, UK and Canada.

Hotstar TV

Despite so much digital content to consume. Users often find themselves wandering around aimlessly on the app. For this purpose, to make things easier. Hotstar has the TV tab.

It is a comprehensive collection of all the Television shows which are available on the app. The tab automatically customizes itself to the preferences of the viewer. Showing relevant content with reference to the viewing patterns of the user. For instance, if you have been watching American TV shows, the tab will contain more American TV series and less Indian TV series options.

Available Sports

Star has the rights to cover almost all major sporting events occurring around the world. Some are covered live simultaneously, such as in the case of soccer; when multiple teams play at the same time. Hotstar US has a sports option for you, to skip all the content and jump right into your favorite sport.

The live and most popular events are listed on the top. The sports tab also provides the option of viewing the highlights of any match or event you might have missed. Multiple events of the same sports may occur at the same time. So the tab has sub-categories in the form of the name of the sport, like cricket, football, etc.

Movies

Hotstar US has a huge library of movies. From latest releases to the old classics. From international blockbusters such as the Avengers to lesser-known domestic films. However, the movies may not be available in all regions, due to copyright infringement.

The movies tab is systematically subdivided into categories such as Action, comedy, for kids, popular, new on Hotstar, Biopic and so on. Interestingly; based on your previous choices, the app also provides a subcategory called top picks for you.

Hotstar News

The news tab in the app is very interesting. It provides the option of viewing the news channels live, mostly the channels which are already free to air. It also plays the top headlines on queue as soon as you land on the news tab home. Although, various news outlets are available in multiple languages.

The top suggested are the ones from your own country and in the native language by default. But differs if the settings have been customized. The network also has an in house news outlet. It is interesting because there is no prominent news channel in the star network, only entertainment, and sports.

Supported Devices

It supports multiple devices to access the content at any time and any device. The subscribers can watch Hotstar on TV, laptop, mobile devices, Roku and other smart TVs. You can check the supported device in the below image.

Hotstar supporting devices

Channels available

The Hotstar provides all the channels in the star network. Apart from that, some other channels are

  • HBO Originals
  • Showtime
  • Hooq
  • Abc studio
  • Foxlife
  • National Geography
  • Fcroll.in
  • Life Ok

However, Not all these channels are available in Hotstar US subscription price.

There are some of the channels available for live viewing and static content viewing. Also note, some of the channels which are subsidiaries of the above mentioned, are available under the relevant tab.

Popular TV Shows and Specials

The app will suggest shows according to your own preference. Some of the popular shows on the app are

  • Hostages
  • Hundred
  • Aarya
  • Special Ops
  • Out of Love
  • Game of thrones
  • HIMYM
  • Vampire Diaries
  • Prison break
  • Balers
  • Big bang theory
  • Doctor Who
  • Luther
  • The office
  • Chernobyl
  • Homeland
  • Two and a half men
  • Master Chef
  • Modern Family
  • Westworld
  • Grey’s Anatomy
  • True Detective
  • Hell’s Kitchen
  • Dexter

And a lot more which might need another list.

Supported Languages

For an app that customizes itself for your personal requirement. The Hotstar US app comes in a lot of local languages. This is where the star network comes to play. The network boasts of many local language channels, that show local content. All of that content is available on the Hotstar US subscription.

  • English
  • Hindi
  • Telugu
  • Bengali
  • Malayalam
  • Marathi
  • Kannada
  • Tamil
  • Gujarati

These are the languages Hotstar US is available in. The choice of language may influence what the app, suggests you for viewing. Also, not all content will be available in the language of your choice. However, the language on the interface will change to your preference.

Hotstar US promo codes and offers

Check out latest Hotstar US deals and promo codes.

Hotstar India Offers and deals

Various other applications provide offers on subscription.

  • Flipkart Plus membership can get you 1-year Hotstar App Premium membership.
  • Using an HDFC debit or credit card on the sports pack can get you 30% cashback.
  • Paytm offers 20% cash-back on subscription worth Rs. 199.
  • ICICI offers Rs. 75 cash-back on subscription worth Rs. 199. Via ICICI bank credit card or pocket wallet.
  • Airtel Tv provides access to 22 channels, 3000+ movies and other exclusive content on Hotstar App.
  • Jio Users get access to all Star channels, Star content and Live TV for 3 months on the Hotstar app.

Customer service

hotstar customer care number

This streaming service leaves little to no scope of complaints. But sometimes the customers still require assistance to resolve miscommunications or misunderstandings. Hotstar customer care numbers are given below:-

  • For that, a help menu is provided in the drop-down menu.
  • The users can also send a grievance mail to [email protected]
  • Users can call the toll free number 1833-212-2120 for US.
  • Users can call the toll free number 1833-425-4250 for Canada.

How to watch

Viewing Hotstar US is pretty simple, all you need is an internet connection. Its content is available on the website and app. Although some content is free. Some might require a login, which is free. However, the free content is very limited and contains ads.

The persistent interruptions will make you reconsider the Hotstar free subscription. In case the Hotstar app is not available in a certain area. Using a VPN to ping the location to a country where the Hotstar app is available might help.

Conclusion

Hotstar US app or website or the streaming platform is one of its kind. The design is simple yet elegant, making it easy to interact and view. Backed by a large library of content both domestic and international. But the most distinct feature of the application would be its adaptability and execution.

Many streaming platforms are contesting for popular content. Yet Hotstar manages to beat them at every turn. Shows such as Game of Thrones final season is a prime example.

With each update, the application introduces something new. During this cricket season, the introduction of in-app chat rooms and food ordering facility are yet another example. This zeal to constantly grow and adapt using innovation is the lead reason Hotstar is so popular.

There is no streaming service in the market, that covers genres from live television, sporting events, movies, TV series and live match coverage. This app has it all. With a rating of 4.3 out of 5 by 6 million users and a staggering 100 million+ downloads from the Google play store. The numbers speak volumes about the application.

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