Why line for ‘Succession’ ended at Telegram

Last week, millions of viewers around the world came to terms with the end of HBO’s widely acclaimed series, Succession.

A host of them from India also bid goodbye to Telegram, the messenger app that competes with WhatsApp and Signal.

How are the two events related, you ask?

Earlier this year, Disney+ Hotstar decided against renewing its programming deal with HBO, so when the fourth – and final – season of Succession began streaming worldwide on March 26, there was no legitimate streaming platform where the Indian audience could watch the latest episodes.

Many fans thus resorted to installing Telegram for the first time to access pirated episodes of the series through the app’s user-led channels.