Disney Blocks John Oliver’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ Episode Criticizing Indian Prime Minister From Indian Streaming Service
The most recent episode of “Last Week Tonight,” in which host John Oliver criticizes India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been blocked from a streaming service that provides the show in India, according to reports.
In the episode, Oliver criticized some of Modi’s anti-Muslim policies ahead of president’s Donald Trump’s visit to the country this week. He described Modi as a “controversial” figure in Indian politics for his attempt to strip Muslims of Indian citizenship, calling the leader a “symbol of hate” at the end of the 19-minute segment.
As Bloomberg and other outlets have reported, the episode was not available to stream in India on the Disney-owned streaming service Hotstar as of Tuesday morning. Episodes of “Last Week Tonight” are typically available for viewing on Hotstar the Tuesday after they first air in the U.S.
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A spokesperson for the agency which regulates television and the press in India told TechCrunch that the government was not involved in the decision.
Hotstar is India’s largest on-demand streaming service with more than 350 million users. It is a subsidiary of the Disney-owned Star India. The full episode of “Last Week Tonight” is available to watch in India via HBO’s YouTube channel.
Read original story Disney Blocks John Oliver’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ Episode Criticizing Indian Prime Minister From Indian Streaming Service At TheWrap
