Star(stylized asST★R) is a content hub within theDisney+[a]streaming service that launched on February 23, 2021. The hub is available in a subset of countries where Disney+ is operated, except the United States.[1]
 Logo used since 2021 | |
| Area served | Every country where Disney+ operates except United States and India (seefull list of countries) |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
| Parent | Disney Streaming(Disney Entertainment) |
| Registration | Required |
| Launched | February 23, 2021 |
| Current status | Active |
Star features a large library of television and film content from the libraries ofDisneysubsidiaries, includingFX Networks,Hulu,Freeform,ABC Signature,MTM Enterprises,Touchstone Television,20th Television,20th Television Animation,20th Century Studios,20th Century Animation,Searchlight Pictures,Touchstone PicturesandHollywood Pictures.[1][2][3][4]It also features licensed non-Disney branded content throughDisney Platform Distribution.
History
editBackground
editThe "Star" brand originated as aHong Kong-based satellite broadcaster,which operated under that name as an acronym of "Satellite Television Asian Region", it was founded byHutchison Whampoain 1990, and had been acquired byNews Corporationin 1993.[5]After 2009, the Star brand was mainly restricted to the now-separately ownedStar China Media,as well asStar India,which operates primarily in India, but also distributes programming internationally via services targeting viewers of Indian descent. The remainder of the Star Asia Pacific business was later brought under theFox International Channelsdivision.[6]
Star India (as well as all of the now Fox Networks Group's Asia Pacific operations[b]) was then acquired by Walt Disney as part of itsacquisitionof21st Century Foxon March 20, 2019.
During an earnings call on August 5, 2020, Disney CEOBob Chapekannounced that Disney planned to launch a new international, general entertainment service under the "Star" brand name in 2021. The plan superseded a previously announced international expansion of the majority-controlled American streaming service,Hulu,which has only expanded outside the United States toJapan.[c]Chapek argued that, outside of the United States, the Hulu brand is not well known while Star is much more recognizable.[9]
Launch
editDisney officially announced Star and Star+ on December 10, 2020, at its Investor Day Event.[10]During the event, it was announced that Star would launch as a sixth brand tile within the Disney+ interface. Additional parental controls would be launched alongside Star's introduction. Although Star would be available at no extra cost to Disney+ subscribers, the introduction of Star would coincide with a price increase.[11]Star was launched in Canada, United Kingdom, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore on February 23, 2021, while the service was launched in Hong Kong and Taiwan later in 2021.[12]Disney promoted the launch by naming several stars in theInternational Star Registry.[13]
Star+ was launched in Latin America on August 31, 2021. Star was to also launch in Central and Eastern Europe, Israel, South Africa and theMENARegion in 2022. Star was launched in Japan and South Korea on October 27, 2021, and November 12, 2021, respectively.[14]It was indeed launched in May 2022 in South Africa and in June 2022 in various MENA and European countries.[15]
Subsequently, the European feeds ofStar Plus,Star BharatandStar Goldwere rebranded as Utsav Plus, Utsav Bharat and Utsav Gold, respectively, on January 22, 2021, to avoid confusion with the streaming hub.[16]Disney plans to produce more Korean, Japanese and other Asian content under Star and Disney+ in the next few years.[17]
In May 2023, Disney rolled out the Star hub forDisney+ Hotstarsubscribers in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.[18]
In March 2024, it was announced that the Star hub would be added on Disney+ in Latin America on June 26, 2024,[19]while its separate platform,Star+,would be discontinued on July 24 of same year.[20]
Content
editGeneral content
editStar includes a range of content produced or otherwise owned by Disney and its subsidiaries, including television programs produced byABC Signature,MTM Enterprises,Touchstone Television,20th Television,20th Television Animation,FXP,and their divisions and predecessors, as well as films from the20th Century Studios,20th Century Animation,Searchlight Pictures,Touchstone PicturesandHollywood Pictureslibraries and some films from theMiramax Filmslibrary. Much of the TV content was originally produced for Disney-owned networks and services such asABC,FXandFreeform.Other programs were originally commissioned by third-party networks but have been made available on Star because Disney has retained the international distribution rights.[3]
In Europe, Disney+ and Star offer local content from third-party distributors in addition to local in-house and co-productions. The reason for this is a regulation that requires a certain percentage of European productions. In order to comply with this requirement, Disney has entered into a partnership with various local distributors from France and Germany, among others.[21][22][23][24]In Japan, besides Disney-owned contents, Star also provides anime series produced in the country.[25]
Multi-year deal with Sony Pictures
editIn April 2021, Disney andSony Picturesreached a multi-year deal to let Sony's titles stream onHuluand Disney+ or premiered on Disney linear television, it also merged separated existing deal betweenFunimation(nowCrunchyroll) and Hulu. While title begins to add onHuluandDisney+until September 2022,[26]Marvel related titles starting with Spider-Man films added to Disney+'s Marvel hub in June 2022.[27]This also included the animatedSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.[28]All threeSam Raimi-directedSpider-Manfilms andThe Amazing Spider-Manwould eventually be made available on the American version of the platform on April 21, 2023, withSpider-Man: HomecomingandVenom,a film inSony's Spider-Man Universe,being made available the following month.[29]Other mature and non-Marvel related Sony Pictures titles that premiered on Disney's linear networks available on the Star hub (specifically fromSony Pictures Television) includeABC'sThe Good Doctor,For LifeandSchooled,FX'sJustified,DamagesandRescue MeandHulu'sFuture Man(which is no longer available following the May 26, 2023 purge of Disney+ titles).[30]Initially, non-Marvel related titles and Crunchyroll-licensed titles were only available on Hulu in United States, multiple titles were started to available on Disney+ in March 2024 through Hulu on Disney+ hub.
Exclusive content
editMany productions for which the local first release is carried out by Star are advertised and offered as Star Originals or Star Exclusives. Most of these productions come from the streaming services (such asHulu) and TV channels (such asABC,Freeform,FX,ESPN,orNational Geographic) of the Walt Disney Company. Selected productions from its sister servicesStar+andDisney+ Hotstarmay come to Star,[31][32][33]Disney+ original seriesandmoviesthat are not labeled under Disney,Pixar,Marvel,Star WarsorNational Geographicare also released to Star outside of the United States and Latin America but retain their Disney+ Originals status. Disney also has local partnerships with licensors and distributes selected productions worldwide. One Such partnership, for example is with the Japanese TV broadcasterTBS.[34]
Availability
editAs described above, Star is available as part of the Disney+ service in many countries around the world. In India, where Disney+ is distributed as part ofDisney+ Hotstar,many of the same programs are available as part of Hotstar's general-interest content, often categorized under hubs such as Star World.[35]The only market where Disney+ is available without the Star hub is the United States, where much of this programming is instead available throughHulu,and its namesake content hub on Disney+.
On May 3, 2023, Disney made changes toDisney+ Hotstarin Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, where the interface now provides the Star hub, as part of an ongoing "Hotstar X" refresh in various markets.[18]
Explanatory notes
edit- ^includingDisney+ Hotstar(applies to only Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand)
- ^Although, the Asia Pacific operations do operate "Star" -branded TV services to date, to varying degrees. Not to be confused with theJapanese premium TV network of the same name,which albeit then a co-owned venture with three Japanese partners, is now a wholly separate business as the former 21st Century Fox sold its stake before the Disney acquisition completed.
- ^the Japanese branch would be acquired byNippon TVin 2014.[7][8]
- ^abThe content hub is not visible due to the pre-existingStar Channel(Greece) andStar TV(Turkey). Yet, some of itsoriginal programmingare available on the platform.
- ^Soft launch on Disney+ Hotstar streaming service
- ^abcPer country-specific (menu-selectable) information onDisney+ Help Center.
References
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- ^Roberts, Samuel (December 11, 2020)."Disney Plus UK will get heaps more TV shows and movies via Star in 2021".TechRadar.Archivedfrom the original on December 13, 2020.RetrievedDecember 12,2020.
- ^Tam, Luisa (July 27, 1993)."News buys Star TV".South China Morning Post.Archivedfrom the original on April 12, 2019.RetrievedDecember 13,2020.
- ^Chu, Karen (August 18, 2009)."News Corp. confirms STAR TV breakup".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on January 11, 2019.RetrievedDecember 13,2020.
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