IPL 2021 broadcasters come up with huge decision to shake South-East Asian media landscape

In an unprecedented move, global entertainment conglomerate The Walt Disney Company has decided to shut down on as many as 18 television channels in South-East Asia and Hong Kong in October this year with an aim to provide greater importance towards direct-to-consumer streaming. According to a report published by Variety, only four Disney-owned linear channels will survive the axe. These are - Star Chinese Channel, Star Chinese Movies, National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild.

IPL live telecast: Disney set to shut down major sports channels in South East Asian market

The report also stated that those channels which will be shut down that joined the group less than three years ago as part of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. It was considered to be one of the most aggressive corporate takeovers of the century. The five sports channels which are all set for closure are Fox Sports, Fox Sports 2, Fox Sports 3, Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 2.

The Walt Disney Company, in its statement, has said that as part of its global effort to pivot towards a D2C-first model and further grow their streaming services, the company is consolidating its media networks business primarily in South-East Asia and Hong Kong. These efforts will help the company align resources more efficiently and effectively to current and future business needs. According to a report by Yahoo.com, Disney's streaming service is currently available in 59 markets globally and recently reached more than 100 million paid subscribers ahead of their target.

A company spokesperson, while speaking to the website, said that Disney will continue to have a strong media and entertainment business in South-East Asia and Hong Kong that includes their direct-to-consumer business, studio entertainment, consumer products, games and publishing business, serving consumers and partners alike in the region. It is worth noting that in India, Disney is making use of the Star brand while offering DTC-based content along with Hotstar, the largest streaming platform in the country. The IPL live telecast is currently being done on Star Sports Network, while the IPL 2021 live streaming in India is available for fans on the Disney+ Hotstar app.

Where to watch IPL in Singapore?

Speaking about where to watch IPL in Singapore, fans can watch IPL 2021 matches live on Star Hub. As per the Singapore time, live action of the IPL 2021 matches will commence at 10:00 PM local time. 

IPL 2021 live in Hong Kong

The IPL 2021 live in Hong Kong will be available on Now TV. According to Hong Kong Time (HKT), the IPL 2021 live streaming will commence at 10:00 PM.

Image: Disney+ Hotstar / Twitter