Disney+ Hotstar Adds Audio Descriptive Commentary in Hindi for IPL Matches

Making the ongoing Tata IPL 2022 more accessible to its users, Disney+ Hotstar has introduced Audio Descriptive Commentary in Hindi. The feature, as its name suggests, allows Disney+ Hotstar users to hear detailed commentary of IPL matches. It is aimed to help visually impaired, elderly, and regular cricket fans to get every detail of the match while it is going on on the field and running live on the screen. The commentary is conducted by cricket commentators of Prasar Bharti alum — the voices that were heard on radio and television in the past.

The new Audio Descriptive Commentary in Hindi feature is available to viewers in India, Canada, and Singapore for four playoff IPL 2022 matches until May 29, the streaming platform said in a statement.

Disney+ Hotstar users can hear the audio commentary from Prasar Bharti alumni, namely, Sanjay Banerjee, Ajay Mehra, Sunil Vaidya, and Naveen Srivastava.

"By making the on-field action inclusive, through its pioneering technological innovations, Disney+ Hotstar aims to cater to under-served communities and the elderly. This will significantly increase their access to live sports so that every Indian household can partake in the excitement and fun of watching IPL," the platform said.

Users can enable the Audio Descriptive Commentary in Hindi by going to the audio settings while watching the IPL matches.

With the introduction of the new commentary feature, Disney+ Hotstar has essentially brought its streaming platform closer to traditional mediums of watching cricket matches — the radio and television. It would help the company attract more Indian cricket fans.

For the last few years, Disney+ Hotstar, formerly known as Hotstar, has been able to gain popularity among cricket lovers, thanks to the exclusive digital rights it has for live streaming IPL matches.

Earlier this month, Disney+ Hotstar reported 50.1 million paid subscribers, representing nearly 36 percent of the total Disney+ subscriber base. The platform also regularly ties up with various telecom operators including Airtel, Vi, and Jio to offer its bundled subscription for their prepaid and postpaid customers — to continue to leverage the growing number of smartphone users in the country to expand its user base.