How to Watch Hotstar in US & Worldwide Locations in 2025
Disney Plus Hotstar is an Indian streaming service growing in popularity worldwide. Because of this, more and more people want to find out how to watch Hotstar in U.S. locations and elsewhere. Keep reading to find out more.
Written by Kit Copson (Writer, Briefing Editor)
Reviewed by Jackie Leavitt (Co-Chief Editor)
Facts checked by Jasna Mishevska (Lead Fact-Checking Editor)
Last Updated:
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: Watch Hotstar in the US
- Begin your VPN journey by signing up for NordVPN online, taking advantage of its 72% discount offer and 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Connect to an Indian server.
- Start watching Hotstar from anywhere.
Best VPNs for Watching Hotstar:
- NordVPN — Premium protection and a wealth of features. A 72% discount is available for users who choose NordVPN’s extended subscription options.
- Surfshark — Powerful protection that’s easy on your wallet. New Surfshark subscribers get up to 66% (plus 3 months free) reduced rates on long-term commitments.
- ExpressVPN — Streamlined security for VPN novices. Explore ExpressVPN’s features with a 30-day return policy, and grab extended plans at a 25% discount.
What to Know About Hotstar:
- Indian streaming service Disney Plus Hotstar is available in only a few locations — India (as JioHotstar), Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Hotstar as a stand-alone service is available in the U.K., Canada and Singapore.
- You can also access some Hotstar content if you subscribe to the Disney Plus bundle.
- To access the full Indian Hotstar content library from outside India, you need to connect to a VPN with Indian servers. The most reliable VPN to watch Disney Plus Hotstar is NordVPN, which has a virtual Indian server.
- To get premium content on Hotstar, you need to subscribe to a paid plan, for which you need an Indian payment method and Indian phone number. Luckily, you can still stream free content without a Hotstar subscription by using a VPN.
In 2019, Hotstar merged with The Walt Disney Company, changing its name to Disney Plus Hotstar, though it’s still commonly called “Hotstar.” Though Disney Plus is available in many locations worldwide, Disney Plus Hotstar is, unfortunately, not. Luckily, there is a way to access Hotstar and in this guide, we’ll show you how to watch Hotstar in U.S. locations and from anywhere.
Disney Plus Hotstar has a pretty vast library of free and paid international and Indian content, but this library is restricted to India and a few other countries. To get around these regional restrictions, you can connect to an Indian server on a reliable VPN (virtual private network). If you’re new to using VPNs with streaming sites, read on to find out how it works.
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08/02/2022 Facts checked
Updated to include new information on VPNs that can unblock Disney Plus Hotstar. We also added a how-to section to show you how to use a VPN to access the Indian Hotstar content library.
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10/01/2024
We refreshed this guide with updated step-by-step instructions and revised VPN rankings.
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12/04/2024 Facts checked
Added additional detail about the top VPNs for accessing Hotstar.
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03/28/2025 Facts checked
We updated this article to refresh information on NordVPN and using a VPN to access Disney+ Hotstar/JioHotstar.
How to Watch Hotstar in US Locations: Why You Need a VPN
Disney Plus Hotstar is available in India (as JioHotstar), Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The service is also available in the U.K., Canada and Singapore, but as a stand-alone streaming service without Disney Plus.
You can also get select Hotstar content via the Disney bundle, but it doesn’t provide access to the full Indian Hotstar library. You can sign up for this via Hulu if you’re in the U.S.
Hotstar implements strict geoblocking technology that detects and blocks connections from outside authorized regions. A VPN can help you get around this restriction and watch Hotstar content in the U.S. and other locations. When you connect to a VPN server, it changes your IP address to make it appear as if you’re in another country.
Case in point: If you try to access Disney+ Hotstar in the USA without a VPN, you’ll get an error message. However, if you connect to an Indian server on a VPN, your U.S. IP address will change to an Indian IP address, which lets you watch Disney+ Hotstar India from anywhere.
As for top Hotstar content, the Indian Premier League (IPL), India’s premier cricket tournament, is one of the service’s biggest draws. Fans overseas with a subscription who want to stream IPL on JioHotstar will need an Indian VPN server. In addition, Hotstar is known for its extensive Bollywood content.
The Disney Plus Hotstar Collaboration: Is Hotstar Available Without Disney+?
Yes, but only in three locations — the U.K., Canada and Singapore. You can still watch Indian TV shows, movies and sports in these countries, but the Indian version has more content.
If you don’t already have a Disney Plus Hotstar account, you’ll need to subscribe to a paid plan. To do this, you’ll need a local payment method and phone number. For example, if you subscribe to JioHotstar, you’ll need an Indian payment method and Indian mobile number; unfortunately, if you don’t have these, you won’t be able to subscribe.
If you don’t have an Indian payment method, you can still watch some free content on Hotstar as long as you’re connected to a VPN. You do not need to create a Hotstar account to watch free content.
How to Watch Disney+ Hotstar in the U.S. With a VPN
Let’s dive into how to unblock Disney Plus Hotstar in USA locations. If you’re new to using VPNs with streaming services, don’t worry. Accessing JioHotstar India is a piece of cake as long as you’re using a reliable VPN service to connect to an Indian VPN server.
That said, to reiterate, you need a valid local phone number when signing up for a Hotstar account for verification purposes. If you don’t have a phone number for the Hotstar country you’re signing up with, you’re out of luck.
We recommend NordVPN for streaming JioHotstar India, but we’ll also share some other options further down. Here’s how it works.
If you want to download the Hotstar app from the Google Play store or iOS app store, you’ll need to create a new Indian Google Play account for Android — or a new Apple ID if you’re using iOS — while connected to a VPN. This will show you the apps available to download in India in the respective stores.
- Get NordVPN
Go to NordVPN’s website and sign up for a plan. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and the two-year plan is the cheapest.
- Download NordVPN
Choose the NordVPN app for your device and download it.
- Connect to an Indian Server
Open the NordVPN app and search for “India” in the server list. Connect to an Indian server.
NordVPN started offering virtual servers in 2024, including in India. - Log In to JioHotstar
If you already have a subscription, log in. Alternatively, if you have an Indian payment method and phone number, subscribe to a plan to access the full content library.
- Start Streaming on Hotstar
Go to the Disney Plus Hotstar website, click on a free movie or TV show and start streaming. You don’t need to create an account to do this.
To find out more about content you can watch for free, check out Hotstar’s “best of free” selection. Please note that free content is ad-supported, and the only way to get rid of ads is to subscribe to a super or premium account.
The 3 Best VPNs for Disney Plus Hotstar
When it comes to choosing a VPN subscription to access Hotstar in the USA and worldwide, the most important thing is to go for one with Indian servers. This recently got a little trickier than it was in the past due to a change in India’s VPN laws in April 2022.
The law mandates that VPN providers collect user data and keep it stored for a minimum of five years. Reducing the risk of cybercrime was the reason given, despite the fact that the majority of individuals and businesses use VPNs for perfectly ethical reasons.
This law is why top VPNs now use virtual Indian servers located outside the country. These virtual servers provide you with an Indian IP address while physically being hosted in more privacy-friendly locations, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions without compromising your security.
Let’s take a look at three of the best VPN providers with virtual Indian servers.
1. NordVPN — Best VPN for Hotstar
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NordVPN — the best VPN for Hotstar — offers a virtual Indian server via Mumbai. This helps you access Indian content while avoiding the data retention laws that affect physical servers in India.
It’s our top pick for streaming because of its impeccable speeds and standout features, including Threat Protection Pro. This offers protection against malware, trackers and unsafe websites. This feature is now included in all plans above the Basic tier, providing an additional layer of security while streaming.
On the topic of security and privacy, NordVPN recently unveiled a new protocol: the NordWhisper protocol. This protocol was created to help users get around blocks on especially restrictive networks.
What’s more, with NordVPN’s Meshnet feature, you can securely share downloaded Hotstar content with friends and family through an encrypted connection, regardless of file size.
NordVPN is also perfect for streaming because it’s the fastest VPN of all our top picks. This, coupled with its strong security, makes NordVPN very easy to recommend. You can learn more about this provider in our NordVPN review and try it for yourself with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- **VAT may apply
- Unlimited GB
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- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
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- *The prices are shown only apply for the first 12 months.
- Unlimited GB
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- **The prices are applicable only for the first 24 months. Secure, high-speed VPN Threat Protection Pro™: Anti-malware and advanced browsing protection Threat Protection Pro™: Ad and tracker blocker Password manager with Data Breach Scanner 1 TB of encrypted cloud storage Identity and SSN monitoring and alerts Credit monitoring services Up to $1M in identity theft insurance Up to $100K in cyber extortion insurance
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2. Surfshark — Best Cheap Hotstar VPN
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Another great option for watching Hotstar in the USA is Surfshark, a budget-friendly VPN that we consider one of the best on the market. For one thing, it’s pretty solid speed-wise, with especially strong download speeds. Though our recent speed test showed some inconsistency on U.S. servers, it came in as the second fastest VPN of all those we tried out.
Surfshark has a no-logs policy and is very secure, so your data will remain under wraps while you save a few pennies. Keep in mind that you’ll have to go for the two-year plan or share some of those unlimited connections to get the most value, as the monthly plan is pretty expensive. If you’d like to learn more about Surfshark, feel free to give our full Surfshark review the once-over.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
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- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
- Unlimited GB
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3. ExpressVPN — Easy to Use Hotstar VPN
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For streaming your favorite Indian movies, TV shows and Premier League sports from anywhere in the world, ExpressVPN is a great choice. ExpressVPN is a premium VPN with two virtual Indian servers via Singapore and the U.K. It also adheres to a strict no-logging policy.
This, along with AES-256 encryption, means your data, connection logs and browsing activity are always kept safe and anonymous. ExpressVPN is also an ideal VPN for streaming, thanks to its excellent speeds and consistency with streaming services. It’s also one of the fastest VPNs available.
ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol provides faster connection times and more reliable performance when streaming Hotstar content, especially on mobile devices or less stable internet connections.
To learn more about ExpressVPN, check out our ExpressVPN review or try it with the 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Pricing for the annual and biennial plans applies only on the first year.
- Unlimited GB
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- Yes
Extra Tips for Choosing & Using a Hotstar VPN
When you’re new to VPNs it can be hard to know which features to look for. Here are some tips:
- VPNs with obfuscated servers, like our top picks, hide the fact you’re using a VPN, which is particularly useful for unblocking Hotstar on restrictive networks.
- The best VPNs use reliable, fast and secure protocols. For the best streaming experience, consider using WireGuard (NordLynx in NordVPN) or IKEv2 protocols when connecting to your VPN, as these typically offer the fastest speeds and most stable connections for buffer-free Hotstar streaming in high definition.
How Much Does a Hotstar Subscription Cost?
This depends on your location. Check out the table below to find out how much a Hotstar and Disney+ Hotstar subscription costs.
| Plan: | Price (Year) | Price (Month) | Video /Audio | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super | 899 INR ($11) | N/A | 1080p, Dolby 5.1 | 2 |
| Premium | 1499 INR ($19) | 299 INR ($4) | 4K | 4 |
| Location | Price (Year) | Price (Month) |
|---|---|---|
| U.K. | 49.99 GBP ($60) | 5.99 GBP ($7) |
| Singapore | 69.98 SGD ($55.50) | N/A |
| Canada | 49.99 CAD ($39) | N/A |
Can I Watch Hotstar for Free?
You can stream some Hotstar shows and movies for free on Disney Plus Hotstar. You can use a VPN to watch Hotstar free content from anywhere in the world.
Final Thoughts
We must admit, Disney Plus Hotstar is a bit of a tricky beast — especially as it’s only available in a few locations — but it’s not impossible to access. If you’re out of luck with getting a paid subscription because you don’t have an Indian phone number or payment method, you can always check out Hotstar’s generous free content selection to see if anything strikes your fancy.
For the best Hotstar streaming experience, use NordVPN. There’s no need to hesitate — NordVPN’s 30-day refund policy allows you to experience its benefits firsthand without any long-term obligation.
We hope you’ve found this guide useful and enjoy streaming Disney Plus Hotstar from anywhere. Have you tried using a VPN with Hotstar from the U.S. or elsewhere? Which VPN service would you recommend? Share your experience in the comments below and, as always, thanks for reading!
FAQ: Access Hotstar Outside India
No, it’s not available in the U.S. anymore, but you can still access free Hotstar content with a VPN if you’re in the U.S.
Yes. Disney Plus Hotstar USA was discontinued in 2021. If you sign up for the Disney Plus bundle, however, you can stream certain Hotstar movies and shows.