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Netflix and Chill might soon become Foxtel and Chill.
STREAMING giants Netflix, Stan and Presto will have a new competitor come December, with Foxtel announcing it will start offering no-contract and equipment-free packages.
The move will see a complete overhaul to Foxtel’s existing streaming service Foxtel Play, with a new pricing structure being introduced.
Foxtel Play’s new format will hit the market in December and attempt to attract customers on a budget by offering month-by-month content bundles — costing $9 to $15 per month.
The revamped service will offer a choice of two drama/entertainment bundles, one lifestyle, one documentary or one kids bundle at the basic tier one price.
Although, customers will have an option to add a tier two sports and/or movies bundle.
In addition to removing minimum term fees, the service will say goodbye to the need for a set-top box with customers able to use any smart TV, mobile device or tablet to view content.
Speaking at the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association conference, Foxtel chief executive Peter Tonagh said the “revolutionary†packages would offer far more content than rival streaming services.
Foxtel Play will be getting a revamp.Source:Supplied
“Historically there was a view that Australians won’t pay for content. It was true for news, it was true for music and it was true for television. Well, not any more. Now many more are willing to pay for the right television proposition,†he said, reported Adnews.
Mr Tonagh said the emergence of Streaming Video on Demand (SVOD) players had actually created great opportunities for the pay TV juggernaut.
“Twenty years ago we were the great distributors and from that moment forward we’ve been at our best when we’re challenging, especially in times of dramatic change,†he said.
“The competition between Foxtel and the recent SVOD entrants is much more nuanced than many would have you believe.â€
The announcement comes as Foxtel finalised a new long-term agreement with HBO, which will allow viewers to access the whole HBO library on-demand.
Foxtel has also invested $125 million into local content, including a drama based on classing Australian novel The Picnic at Hanging Rock.
News Corp, the publisher of news.com.au, is a 50 per cent owner of Foxtel.