Novi Digital Entertainment-owned Hotstar has become one of the most popular streaming services in India as it offers more than 50,000 hours of video content across eight languages, which includes TV shows and movies in several native Indian languages as well as from other channels such as HBO, Showtime, ABC Studios and Hooq, among others.
In addition to the free content available on its platform, Hotstar offers two separate Premium plans — Hotstar Premium (INR 199/month or INR 999/year) and Hotstar VIP (INR 365/year) — exclusively for the Indian audience.
The Hotstar VIP plan gets you Live Sports streaming including Cricket, Premier League, Formula 1; new Indian movies, latest episodes of Indian TV at 6 AM every day and exclusive Hotstar Specials. Hotstar VIP subscribers can watch almost everything available on Hotstar, except American and other international TV shows and movies.
The price at INR 365 directly translates to merely a rupee per day of usage, which is terrific value for money in any case.
Also read: What to do if your Hotstar Premium video isn’t playing?
Can Hotstar VIP subscription be upgraded to Premium?
If at any time during your subscription, you feel the need to upgrade to Hotstar Premium, that can be done by paying the difference between VIP and Premium subscription, which ideally at your first day of subscription should be INR 634.
Is Hotstar VIP ad-free?
No, the subscription isn’t ad-free, and you’ll see personalised ads when watching videos. Hotstar Premium, on the other hand, is entirely ad-free at the time of writing.
Can I watch Hotstar on TV?
Yes, you can watch Hotstar on Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick and Chromecast.
How to subscribe to Hotstar VIP via Pay by Cash option?
Once you’ve selected the plan, follow the steps mentioned below:
- Enter your address, followed by your PIN code. If the service is available in your area, you’ll be asked to add your full address and mobile number but if the service isn’t available, then you’ll have to choose a different method to pay for the subscription.
- Enter the verification code sent to your mobile.
- Next, you’ll see a summary page of your order. Click on Start Membership to complete the order.
- Once the order is successful, a Hotstar service representative will visit the address you registered in the step above within the next 3-4 days.
How to cancel Hotstar VIP subscription?
Your membership will be cancelled at the end of your billing cycle. Users can restart their membership at any time. Hotstar Premium and VIP plans are non-refundable.
Smartphone
- Open the Hotstar app and tap on the menu button located to the left of the Hotstar logo on the top of the app.
- Now tap on My Account, located at the top of the menu.
- On the next page, tap on Cancel Membership.
- On the next page, tap on Yes, Confirm Cancellation.
PC
- Login to your Hotstar account on their website.
- Hover over the profile picture icon at the top right of the page (besides Search).
- Click on My Account
- On the next page, click on Cancel Membership
- On the next page, click on Confirm Cancellation
Also read: Netflix vs Amazon Prime Video vs Hotstar vs YouTube Premium
Hotstar VIP vs Hotstar Premium
Hotstar Premium is offered on two rates — INR 299/month and INR 999/year — which is a considerable jump from the INR 365/year for Hotstar VIP, but the Premium subscription does come with some serious upsides, especially if you like to keep up with TV shows and movies from across the world.
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One of the most prominent distinctions between the two is the advertisement. While Hotstar VIP subscribers are shown targeted ads, Premium subscribers have an ad-free experience.
Content
While VIP subscribers do get access to a chunk of the content available on Hotstar, Premium subscribers enjoy everything available on the service. Premium subscribers get access to movies and TV shows from the following channels, which VIP subscribers don’t:
- HBO
- Hooq
- Showtime
- ABC Studios
- Star World
- Fox Life
In addition to these, VIP subscribers also don’t get access to any Hollywood movies.
Is it worth upgrading from Hotstar VIP to Premium?
Upgrading to Hotstar Premium really depends on the kind of content you consume and whether or not you wish for an ad-free experience. Needless to say that advertisements do take a bit of fun out of streaming movies and tv shows online, so if you have the extra money, upgrading to a Premium subscription isn’t a bad idea at all. In addition to the ad-free experience, you also get the option to watch Hollywood movies as well as American TV shows.
Also read: How many videos can be downloaded on Hotstar Premium and where are they saved?
