Disney+ Hotstar, a leading streaming platform, has announced its decision to offer free streaming of the forthcoming season of the Pro Kabaddi League, set to kick off on December 2, 2023.

This bold move reflects the rising popularity of the sport in India, which has become the second most-watched sport in the country, trailing only behind cricket, according to a report in the Economic Times.

Sajith Sivanandan, the Head of Disney+ Hotstar India, emphasized the inclusive nature of this initiative stating, “The popularity of Pro Kabaddi League spans across age groups, and by making it available to all our audience on Disney+ Hotstar, we aim to make Kabaddi accessible to all of India and foster a stronger sense of engagement amongst the fans.”

This decision comes on the heels of Disney+ Hotstar‘s successful offering of free streaming during two major cricket events in 2023, the Asia Cup and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The streaming platform experienced record viewership during these cricket tournaments, with a peak concurrency of 4.4 crore viewers during the high-stakes India-South Africa clash. Disney+ Hotstar anticipates that this trend will continue to rise as the Pro Kabaddi League season approaches its culmination, the ET report added.