Disney+ Hotstar announced on Friday that it has decided to make the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup tournaments available to all mobile phone users who access Disney+ Hotstar for free.

This move comes after JioCinema began streaming major tournaments such as the IPL and FIFA.

“The move to lift the paywall for mobile-only viewers of both, the Asia Cup and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, is aimed at further democratizing the game of cricket and making it accessible to as many mobile users in India as possible for the duration of the season,” The Hindu reported.

“Disney+ Hotstar has remained at the forefront of India’s rapidly evolving OTT industry, and the various innovations we have implemented to continue improving the viewer experience have allowed us to delight our audiences across the region.” “We believe that making the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup available to a wider audience will help us grow the overall eco-system,” said Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney+ Hotstar.

With successful tournaments such as the Asia Cup 2022, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, and ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, the company claims to have created strong viewership momentum for cricket properties.

The recently concluded India vs. Sri Lanka, India vs. New Zealand, and India vs. Australia tournaments did well for the platform as well.