Disney has confirmed that it will include Star, a familiar brand in Asia, on its Disney Plus streaming service when it launches in Singapore on February 23.
The other five brands on the Disney Plus platform will include Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic.
Previously owned by 21st Century Fox, the Star brand has been a major presence as a satellite broadcaster in both East Asia and South Asia for decades. Fox split it into separate Mumbai and Hong Kong-based divisions in 2009. It became part of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International unit following Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s assets in March 2019.
While Star India continues to be based in Mumbai, the former Hong Kong-based Fox Networks Group Asia is being dismantled and moved to Disney hubs in Singapore and Shanghai.
However, Disney announced last month that it plans to take the Star brand global outside of the US market (where Disney also majority owns the Hulu streaming service) as an edgier, more adult-oriented alternative to the more family-oriented Disney brands.
Star will launch as part of the Disney Plus streaming service in Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on February 23, and in other Asian territories, including Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, later this year.
It will stream series including 24, Lost, Desperate Housewives, How I Met Your Mother, Prison Break, The X-Files, Atlanta and Blackish, along with films such as the Die Hard movie franchise and Deadpool.
Star will also stream the first Star Original – thriller Big Sky from David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies), starring Katheryn Winnick, Kylie Bunbury and Brian Geraghty.
In Singapore, Disney Plus will cost $9 (S$11.98) per month or $90 (S$119.98) per year. The service will be available on a wide range of mobile and connected devices, including gaming consoles, streaming media players and smart TVs.