NBCUniversal to launch reality TV focused SVOD service Hayu in Australia for $5.99
Australia will get a new subscription video on demand (SVOD) service after NBCUniversal announced overnight it is preparing to launch its streaming product, Hayu, into the local market.
Hayu will launch in the Australian, UK and Irish markets in March and offer a variety of NBCUniversal content, including Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and various spin-offs, The Real Housewives and other reality shows including Million Dollar Listing, Top Chef, I Am Cait, Shahs of Sunset and The Millionaire Matchmaker, for the monthly price of $5.99.
Kevin MacLellan, chairman of NBCUniversal International, said in a statement: “NBCUniversal’s expertise as the foremost producer of reality programming – along with the obvious popularity of the genre – was the trigger for launching Hayu.
“We know that reality content is a primary driver of social interaction and that fans of reality TV significantly over-index in online viewing. We set out to build a service that elegantly combines the best high-end reality shows with the most popular social media and digital news platforms. Uniquely in Hayu, fans can find it all in one place.”
NBCUniversal noted that it would offer a one month free trial (mobile, tablet, laptop and connected TV) and had more than 3,000 episodes of reality content on the services with 500+ new episodes expected to be added each year.
Hayu is one of a number of a new international SVOD services understood to be looking at moving into the Australian market to challenge the likes of Netflix, Stan and Presto.
As Mumbrella reported last month, industry insiders believe Netflix has passed the 1m paid subscriber mark in this market while Stan is thought to be close to the 250,000, with Presto in third place at around 200,000.
Nic Christensen
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