How to Watch Hotstar in US & Worldwide Locations in 2024
Disney Plus Hotstar is an Indian streaming service growing in popularity worldwide. Because of this, more and more people want to find out how to watch Hotstar in U.S. locations and elsewhere. Keep reading to find out more.
Written by Kit Copson (Writer, Briefing Editor)
Reviewed by Jackie Leavitt (Co-Chief Editor)
Facts checked by Jasna Mishevska (Lead Fact-Checking Editor)
Last Updated: 2024-09-30T21:11:32+00:00
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: Watch Hotstar in the US
- Begin your VPN journey by signing up for NordVPN online, taking advantage of its 73% discount offer and 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Connect to an Indian server.
- Start watching Hotstar from anywhere.
Best VPNs for Watching Hotstar:
- NordVPN — Premium protection and a wealth of features. A 73% discount is available for users who choose NordVPN’s extended subscription options.
- Surfshark — Powerful protection that’s easy on your wallet. New Surfshark subscribers get up to 86% reduced rates on long-term commitments.
- ExpressVPN — Streamlined security for VPN novices. Explore ExpressVPN’s features with a 30-day return policy, and grab extended plans at a 49% discount.
What to Know About Hotstar:
- Indian streaming service Disney Plus Hotstar is available in only a few locations — India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Hotstar as a stand-alone service is available in the U.K., Canada and Singapore.
- You can also access some Hotstar content if you subscribe to the Disney Plus bundle.
- To access the full Indian Hotstar content library from outside India, you need to connect to a VPN with Indian servers. The most reliable VPN to watch Disney Plus Hotstar is NordVPN, which has a virtual Indian server.
- To get premium content on Hotstar, you need to subscribe to a paid plan, for which you need an Indian payment method and Indian phone number. Luckily, you can still stream free content without a Hotstar subscription by using a VPN.
In 2019, Hotstar merged with The Walt Disney Company, changing its name to Disney Plus Hotstar, though it’s still commonly called “Hotstar.” Though Disney Plus is available in many locations worldwide, Disney Plus Hotstar is, unfortunately, not. Luckily, there is a way to access Hotstar and in this guide, we’ll show you how to watch Hotstar in U.S. locations and from anywhere.
Disney Plus Hotstar has a pretty vast library of free and paid international and Indian content, but this library is restricted to India and a few other countries. To get around these regional restrictions, you can connect to an Indian server on a reliable VPN (virtual private network). If you’re new to using VPNs with streaming sites, read on to find out how it works.
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08/02/2022 Facts checked
Updated to include new information on VPNs that can unblock Disney Plus Hotstar. We also added a how-to section to show you how to use a VPN to access the Indian Hotstar content library.
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10/01/2024
We refreshed this guide with updated step-by-step instructions and revised VPN rankings.
How to Watch Hotstar in US Locations: Why You Need a VPN
Disney Plus Hotstar is available in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and soon, Vietnam. The service is also available in the U.K., Canada and Singapore, but as a stand-alone streaming service without Disney Plus. You can also get select Hotstar content via the Disney bundle. You can sign up for this via Hulu if you’re in the U.S.
If you’re a sports fan, you’ll be pleased to know that you can get sports content from Hotstar via ESPN Plus, including the Indian Premier League cricket tournament. ESPN Plus is part of the Disney package.
Wherever you are in the world, India is the only location in which you can access the full Hotstar content library via Disney+ Hotstar. A VPN can help you get around this restriction and watch Hotstar content in the U.S. and other locations. When you connect to a VPN server, it changes your IP address to make it appear as if you’re in another country.
Case in point: If you try to access Disney+ Hotstar in the USA without a VPN, you’ll get an error message. However, if you connect to an Indian server on a VPN, your U.S. IP address will change to an Indian IP address, which lets you watch Disney+ Hotstar India from anywhere.
The Disney Plus Hotstar Collaboration: Is Hotstar Available Without Disney+?
Yes, but only in three locations — the U.K., Canada and Singapore. You can still watch Indian TV shows, movies and sports in these countries, but the Indian version has more content.
Even if you already have a Hotstar account in the U.K., Canada or Singapore, we recommend using a VPN to check out the full Indian content library (if possible — read more on this below), as Hotstar in the above locations doesn’t give you access to everything in it.
To do this, though — even if you already have a standard Hotstar account — you will need a subscription to Disney Plus Hotstar, which is separate from Hotstar.
If you don’t already have a Disney Plus Hotstar account, you’ll need to subscribe to a paid plan. To do this, you’ll need an Indian payment method and Indian mobile number; unfortunately, if you don’t have these, you won’t be able to subscribe.
If you don’t have an Indian payment method, you can still watch some free content on Hotstar as long as you’re connected to a VPN. You do not need to create a Hotstar account to watch free content.
How to Watch Disney+ Hotstar in the U.S. With a VPN
Let’s dive into how to unblock Disney Plus Hotstar in USA locations. If you’re new to using VPNs with streaming services, don’t worry. Accessing Hotstar India is a piece of cake as long as you’re using a reliable VPN service to connect to an Indian VPN server.
We recommend NordVPN for streaming Hotstar India, but we’ll also share some other options further down. Here’s how it works.
If you want to download the Hotstar app from the Google Play store or iOS app store, you’ll need to create a new Indian Google Play account for Android — or a new Apple ID if you’re using iOS — while connected to a VPN. This will show you the apps available to download in India in the respective stores.
- Get NordVPN
Go to NordVPN’s website and sign up for a plan. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and the two-year plan is the cheapest.
- Download NordVPN
Choose the NordVPN app for your device and download it.
- Connect to an Indian Server
Open the NordVPN app and search for “India” in the server list. Connect to an Indian server.
NordVPN started offering virtual servers in 2024, including in India. - Log In to Hotstar
If you already have a subscription, log in. Alternatively, if you have an Indian payment method and phone number, subscribe to a plan to access the full content library.
- Start Streaming on Hotstar
Go to the Disney Plus Hotstar website, click on a free movie or TV show and start streaming. You don’t need to create an account to do this.
To find out more about content you can watch for free, check out Hotstar’s “best of free” selection. Please note that free content is ad-supported, and the only way to get rid of ads is to subscribe to a super or premium account.
The 3 Best VPNs for Disney Plus Hotstar
When it comes to choosing a VPN subscription to access Hotstar in the USA and worldwide, the most important thing is to go for one with Indian servers. This recently got a little trickier than it was in the past due to a change in India’s VPN laws in April 2022.
The new law mandates that VPN providers collect user data and keep it stored for a minimum of five years. Reducing the risk of cybercrime was the reason given, despite the fact that the majority of individuals and businesses use VPNs for perfectly ethical reasons.
The new law coming into effect has been postponed until September 2022, but some VPN services have already decided to cut their Indian servers as a result.
The good news is that some VPN providers still offer physical and virtual Indian servers while sticking to their no-logs policy. Let’s take a look at three of the best VPN providers with virtual Indian servers.
1. NordVPN — Best VPN for Hotstar
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
2. Surfshark — Best Cheap Hotstar VPN
Very Fast
Very Fast
Good
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $231.75 for one year, $417.15 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $239.25 for one year, $430.65 for two years.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $269.25 for one year, $404.65 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
3. ExpressVPN — Easy to Use Hotstar VPN
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
- Unlimited GB
- 8
- Yes
How Much Does a Hotstar Subscription Cost?
This depends on your location. Check out the table below to find out how much a Hotstar and Disney+ Hotstar subscription costs.
| Plan: | Price (Year) | Price (Month) | Video /Audio | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super | 899 INR ($11) | N/A | 1080p, Dolby 5.1 | 2 |
| Premium | 1499 INR ($19) | 299 INR ($4) | 4K | 4 |
| Location | Price (Year) | Price (Month) |
|---|---|---|
| U.K. | 49.99 GBP ($60) | 5.99 GBP ($7) |
| Singapore | 69.98 SGD ($55.50) | N/A |
| Canada | 49.99 CAD ($39) | N/A |
Can I Watch Hotstar for Free?
You can stream some Hotstar shows and movies for free on Disney Plus Hotstar. You can use a VPN to watch Hotstar free content from anywhere in the world.
Final Thoughts
We must admit, Disney Plus Hotstar is a bit of a tricky beast — especially as it’s only available in a few locations — but it’s not impossible to access. If you’re out of luck with getting a paid subscription because you don’t have an Indian phone number or payment method, you can always check out Hotstar’s generous free content selection to see if anything strikes your fancy.
For the best Hotstar streaming experience, use NordVPN. There’s no need to hesitate — NordVPN’s 30-day refund policy allows you to experience its benefits firsthand without any long-term obligation.
We hope you’ve found this guide useful and enjoy streaming Disney Plus Hotstar from anywhere. Have you tried using a VPN with Hotstar from the U.S. or elsewhere? Which VPN service would you recommend? Share your experience in the comments below and, as always, thanks for reading!
FAQ: Access Hotstar Outside India
No, it’s not available in the U.S. anymore, but you can still access free Hotstar content with a VPN if you’re in the U.S.
Yes. Disney Plus Hotstar USA was discontinued in 2021. If you sign up for the Disney Plus bundle, however, you can stream certain Hotstar movies and shows.