Star+
Logo for the Star+ service.
Type of site
OTT video streaming platform
Available in
List
Area servedLatin America (except Cuba,[1] see full list of countries)
OwnerThe Walt Disney Company
ParentDisney Streaming
URLstarplus.com
RegistrationRequired
LaunchedAugust 31, 2021 (2021-08-31)
Current statusActive

Star+ (stylized as ST★R+) is a 2021 subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service available in Latin America. The service is owned by The Walt Disney Company through the Disney Entertainment division and business segment.[2]

The service features television and film content from the libraries of Disney subsidiaries, including Star Originals, 20th Television, 20th Television Animation, Searchlight Television, 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Animation (films only), ABC Signature, Freeform, FX Networks, Hollywood Pictures, Hotstar, Hulu, National Geographic, Searchlight Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and many more, as well as live sports from ESPN.[3]

In December 2023, it was confirmed that Star+ will be merged into Disney+ in the second quarter of 2024 with all of its content, including live sports from ESPN, migrating to Disney+ and its standalone app being discontinued.[4]

History

Pre-launch

The "Star" brand originated as a Hong Kong-based satellite broadcaster, which operated under that name as an acronym of "Satellite Television Asian Region", it was founded by Hutchison Whampoa in 1991, and had been acquired by News Corporation in 1993.[5] After 2009, the Star brand was mainly restricted to the now separately owned Star China Media, as well as Star India, which operates primarily in India but also distributes Indian vernacular TV programming worldwide and the remaining Asia Pacific rebranded from Star to then Fox International Channels' regional unit.[6] Star India (as well as all of the now Fox Networks Group's Asia Pacific operations[lower-alpha 1]) was then acquired by Walt Disney as part of its acquisition of 21st Century Fox on March 20, 2019.

During an earnings call on August 5, 2020, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced 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 The plan superseded a previously announced international expansion of the majority-controlled American streaming service, Hulu, which has only expanded outside the United States to Japan.[7] Chapek argued that the Hulu brand is not well known outside of the US, while Star being a much more recognizable brand outside of the United States.[8]

Dispute with Lionsgate

In April 2021, Disney faced a trademark dispute in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico with Lionsgate's Starz Entertainment over the use of the Star brand in Ibero-America.[9] The Wrap reported that Disney had five days to respond to the Brazil lawsuit.[10] As a result, on May 13, 2021, it would be announced that the launch of Star+ in Ibero-America would be delayed to August 31.[11][12]

While Disney eventually won the dispute, in July, they would lose an appeal in court in Brazil to the name dispute with Lionsgate.[13] In August 2021, Disney and Starz reached a settlement over the brand name issue allowing Star+ to launch in Ibero-America on August 31 as scheduled. The lawsuit was dropped after the deal was reached.[14][15]

In June 2022, Disney and Lionsgate announced a streaming bundle offer in select Ibero-American countries, consisting of Disney+, Star+ and Lionsgate's Starzplay service.[16]

On September 28, 2022, Lionsgate announced that its Starzplay service would rename to Lionsgate+ worldwide on the next day, including Ibero-America but excluding United States and Canada (where it is still known as Starz in those regions), as well as Cuba which completely ended the name conflict with Disney's Star+ service.[17][18][19]

Merger with Disney+

In December 2023, it was confirmed that Star+ will be merged into Disney+ in the second quarter of 2024, with all of its content migrating to Disney+ and its standalone app being discontinued.[4][20][21]

Content

Star+ serves the same purpose as the Star content hub that was integrated into the Disney+ service in several other countries on February 23, 2021.[22][23][24] The services hosts a variety of content from Disney's studios, primarily general entertainment content carried on Disney+, as well as live sports from ESPN.

Original programming

In addition to acquired content, Star+ will produce original, local content in Latin America to be exclusively released on the platform.[25]

Sports rights

American football

Association football

Asia

Europe

Belgium

England

France

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Portugal

Scotland

Spain

Turkey

South America

Argentina

Brazil

Ecuador

Peru

Uruguay

North America

Mexico

United States

Australian rules football

Motorsports

Baseball

United States

Mexico

Basketball

United States

Africa

Europe

Boxing

Combat sport

Cycling

Field Hockey

Golf

Hockey

Polo

Rugby

Table Tennis

Tennis

Volleyball

Device support and service features

Star+ is available for streaming via web browsers on PC and Mac, as well as apps on iOS and Apple TV, Android and Android TV, Fire TV and Fire HD, Chromecast, WebOS and Tizen OS devices among another digital media player and gaming consoles, such as PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, as well as PC running Windows 10 and Windows 11.[27][28]

Launch

  Available
Launch rollout timeline
Launch date Region Country / Territory
August 31, 2021[1][29] North America Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
South America Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela

Notes

  1. ↑ Although, the Asia Pacific operations do operate "Star"-branded TV services to date, to varying degrees. Not to be confused with the Japanese 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.

References

  1. 1 2 "¿En qué países está disponible Star+?". Star Plus: Help. August 31, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Cómo será el nuevo servicio de streaming de Disney que llega a Latinoamérica". T13 (in Spanish). December 11, 2020.
  3. ↑ "ACERCA DE STAR +".
  4. 1 2 Hayes, Dade (December 20, 2023). "As Disney Streaming Streamlining Continues, Star+ To Shutter Next Year In Latin America As Content Shifts Onto Disney+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  5. ↑ Tam, Luisa (July 27, 1993). "News buys Star TV". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  6. ↑ Chu, Karen (August 18, 2009). "News Corp. confirms STAR TV breakup". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Disney + to raise its subscription fees, announces 'Star' international streaming service". GSMArena.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  8. ↑ Alexander, Julia (August 4, 2020). "Disney is launching a new Star-branded streaming service internationally". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  9. ↑ Palmer, Roger (April 29, 2021). "StarzPlay Disputes Disney Using Star Brand In Latin America". What's On Disney Plus. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  10. ↑ Baysinger, Time (June 9, 2021). "Starz Slaps Disney With Trademark Suits in 3 Latin American Countries Over Star+ Streaming Service". The Wrap.
  11. ↑ Palmer, Roger (May 13, 2021). "STAR+ WILL ARRIVE IN LATIN AMERICA ON AUGUST 31ST". What's On Disney Plus.
  12. ↑ Aliaga, Victor (June 26, 2021). "Star+: Conheça o novo serviço de streaming que chega ao Brasil" [Star+: Discover the new streaming service coming to Brazil]. IGN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Starz consegue impedir Disney de usar marca Star Plus no Brasil; entenda o caso". TudoCelular (in Portuguese). July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Disney faz acordo milionário para usar o nome Star+ em seu novo streaming". Notícias da TV (in Portuguese). August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Disney and Starz Reach Settlement Over Star Plus Brand Name Use in Latin America". Variety. July 25, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  16. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (June 23, 2022). "Disney Teams With Starz For Streaming Bundle in Latin America". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  17. ↑ Goldbart, Max (September 28, 2022). "Starz To Rebrand As Lionsgate+ Outside U.S. And Canada". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  18. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (September 28, 2022). "Lionsgate to Focus on Spinoff of Studio Business, Rebrands Starz Outside of U.S." The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  19. ↑ "STARZPLAY chega ao fim e muda para LIONSGATE+". Além da Tela (in Portuguese). September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Star+ será integrado ao Disney+ no Brasil em 2024! Entenda" [Star+ will be integrated through Disney+ in Brazil in 2024! Know more]. TecMundo (in Portuguese). December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Disney+ y Star+ se convertirán en una única plataforma en 2024" [Disney+ and Star+ will be converted into one platform in 2024]. TVLaint (in Spanish). Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Disney will fuel international growth with Star brand and Star+ app". TechCrunch. December 10, 2020. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  23. ↑ "R-Rated Features, MA TV Coming to Disney+ Overseas via Star Catalog". CBR. December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  24. ↑ Newsdesk, Laughing Place Disney (December 11, 2020). "Disney Investor Day 2020 Recap: Hulu, FX, ESPN+, Star, Star+". LaughingPlace.com. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Star+ Lands in Latin America with 66 Original Productions". Todotvnews. June 26, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Brasileirão terá transmissão pela ESPN e Star+ na América Latina | VCFAZ". October 15, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Como baixar o Star+ no PS4 e PS5". Yahoo! Finance (in Portuguese). Yahoo!. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Star+: streaming da Disney anuncia preços e planos no Brasil". Tech Mundo (in Portuguese). August 13, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  29. ↑ "(Star+: )GEO Availability". Star Plus: Help. November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
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