How to Watch Hotstar from Anywhere Using a VPN
July2022UPDATE:
With each passing day, more and more reputable VPN services are removing their servers from India. However, many are still offering access to the region via virtual server locations. We are testing these regularly, and can confirm that any we recommend on this page still work to unblock Hotstar.
There are different local versions of Hotstar depending on where you are in the world. The best way to watch Hotstar will depend on where you live and which Hotstar content you need access to.
Use the flowchart below to find the best way to watch Indian Hotstar in your specific circumstances:
Follow the flowchart to find the best way to watch Hotstar content from anywhere.
If you’re in the US and want to watch premium Disney+ Hotstar, the best scenario is having access to an Indian payment method and creating a Hotstar account by using a VPN. With an Indian payment method and a VPN you can access the fullest, cheapest, and best version of Hotstar.
If you’re in the US but don’t have access to an Indian payment method, the second best scenario is to subscribe to the Disney Bundle, which contains most Hotstar content. You can also use a VPN to get an Indian IP address and stream free Hotstar content.
If you’re outside of India and the US and don’t have access to an Indian phone number or US payment method, the best scenario is to use a VPN to sign up to Hulu.
Once you’ve found the right method for you, keep reading to find detailed instructions for unblocking Hotstar content from anywhere in the world.
Do I Need a VPN to Watch Hotstar?
You don’t always need a VPN to watch Hotstar. This is for two reasons:
- You can watch all Hotstar content, including the Indian language content, across various US streaming sites, including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ (these three are combined in the Disney Bundle), and HBO Max.
- There are local versions of Hotstar, such as in Canada, UK, and Singapore.
You can watch Hotstar without a VPN if there’s a local version of Hotstar in your country, but you’ll have access to very limited content.
You can also stream Hotstar content if you’re in the US and subscribed to the Disney Bundle package combined with HBO Max.
However, to access the geo-blocked Indian version of Hotstar, you’ll need a VPN to change your IP address. This includes both the free and paid version of Hotstar.
If you want the fullest, ad-free, premium version of Hotstar, you’ll also need an Indian phone number and payment method on top of your VPN.
If you’re outside the US and want to watch Hotstar, you’ll need a VPN and US payment method to subscribe to the US Disney Bundle. This is because you can only upgrade to the Disney Bundle through Disney+ or Hulu directly and not through gift cards.
Hotstar is not the only streaming service with geography-based payment requirements. If you want to stream LINE TV and watch all its content, you’ll need a Taiwanese card to pay for a VIP membership. But there is a hack that lets you upgrade outside of Taiwan: register your card with LINE Pay and pay using a QR code.
If you’re in the UK or Europe and don’t have access to an Indian or US payment method, you’ll need a VPN to subscribe to Hulu.
In this section, we’ll explain the three easiest ways to watch Hotstar from anywhere:
Method 1: Use an Indian Phone Number & Payment Method
The only way to access the full premium version of Hotstar outside of India is to use an Indian phone number and payment method in combination with an Indian VPN server. There are no other reliable workarounds.
You need an Indian phone number to sign up for Disney+ Hotstar.
Relatives or friends in India can be extremely useful here. Someone in the country can create an account for you and share the login details, while you can use a VPN to bypass georestrictions.
Here’s how to unblock Hotstar using an Indian phone number and payment method:
- Subscribe to a VPN that consistently unblocks India Disney+ Hotstar. We recommend ExpressVPN, using its Chennai server.
- Connect to an India VPN server and head to the website hotstar.com/in.
- Select Login in the top right corner and enter your Indian phone number.
- Choose your subscription plan and enter your payment details.
- With the VPN still connected, you can now stream premium Hotstar content.
This solution isn’t applicable to everyone, but it is the only reliable way to access Hotstar premium outside India if you don’t already have an account.
Some websites suggest purchasing a virtual phone number or using Fiverr to pay a third-party, but we don’t recommend these methods due to the potential security risks involved. There are other ways to watch Hotstar, though.
Method 2: Subscribe to the Disney Bundle Package
You can access the majority of Hotstar content from the USA if you subscribe to the Disney Bundle package. This is a special deal for anyone in the US that grants access to Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+ – three platforms that contain most of Hotstar’s content.
If you don’t have an Indian phone number or another way to set up an Indian Hotstar account, this is the best and easiest way to watch Hotstar if you’re outside of India.
The Disney bundle contains Hotstar content across its various channels.
If you’re based in the US you can sign up as normal. If you’re outside the US, you’ll need to use a VPN that works with Disney Plus and a US payment method.
To sign up for the Disney Bundle outside the US:
- Subscribe to Surfshark or another VPN that works with Disney+.
- Connect to a US VPN server.
- Subscribe to the Disney Bundle package through a US payment method. If you don’t have a US payment method, sign up to Hulu instead.
- Log in to Disney+ or Hulu and stream Hotstar content.
The bundle package costs more than the regular Disney+ subscription. It’ll cost $14.00 per month with ads or $20.00 per month without ads, while the regular subscription costs $8.00 per month.
How to to Access Hotstar on Hulu
Star hub on Disney+ is the European and UK version of Hulu, but it does not include all Hulu content, including the Hotstar content that is available on Hulu in the US.
To access Hotstar content from Europe and the UK, you can sign up for the Disney Bundle package using the instructions above or access Hulu from outside the US using a VPN.
In the video below, you can see how easy it is to stream Hotstar content directly from Hulu. We used ExpressVPN from the UK:
Hotstar in India also includes content that is available on HBO Max. Therefore, if you want the full Hotstar experience, it’s worth subscribing to HBO Max too. This is exclusive to the US, so you’ll need a VPN to access HBO Max in different countries.
Method 3: Use a VPN to Watch Free Hotstar Content
Indian Hotstar has a lot of free content that you can stream from anywhere in the world if you connect to an Indian VPN server. You don’t even need to create an account.
The content you can watch for free is limited to sports highlights and select movies and shows. There are ads and HD and Full HD quality is reserved for subscribers
But you’ll be able to stream popular shows like Koffee with Karan, Bollywood blockbusters, and lots of sports, including full F1 races, NFL games, cricket matches, and more. You can’t watch sports live, though.
Here’s how to watch free Hotstar content from anywhere using a VPN:
- Sign up for a VPN that includes India servers. We recommend ExpressVPN.
- Download and open the VPN app and connect to an India server.
- Head to Hotstar.com/in.
- You can now stream free Hotstar content, including sports matches. You don’t even need to generate an account.
In the video below, we used ExpressVPN’s Chennai server to access Hotstar India from the US and stream a replay of a Formula One race: