Foxtel Play set to relaunch as Foxtel Now
Foxtel is gearing up to get rid of its Foxtel Play brand and replace it with Foxtel Now, a revamped subscription video on demand service.
According to an article published in The Australian Financial Review, Foxtel Now will utilise a puck which can be plugged into televisions, allowing users to stream on demand, live and catch up content through the internet.
Foxtel Now is thought to also be able to host third-party apps such as Stan and Netflix.
Computers, mobiles, smart TVs, puck devices and computers will reportedly be able to stream Foxtel Now.
According to The Australian Financial Review, the new Foxtel Play is set to launch in the coming weeks.
Foxtel Play currently allows users to stream TV over the internet enabling consumers to watch on a range of different devices.
The current model lets subscription holders register up to three devices to their Foxtel Play account and watch two devices at the same time.
Foxtel’s joint venture with Seven West Media, Presto, was wound up this year after Foxtel took full control from SWM in October.
The decision forced the subscription television provider into the red.
Talking about the company’s on-demand and streaming offering last year, Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh said Foxtel had a different offering to its competitors.
“Competition between Foxtel and the recently arrived arrived SVOD players is much more nuanced than many would have you believe.
“Sure we do compete in some respects, but essentially our services are fundamentally different in ways that make Foxtel quite unique.
“Those SVOD services don’t compete for live and linear viewing and that’s viewing that represents the vast majority of Australia’s current viewing habits.”
Speaking with Mumbrella after his speech at the ASTRA conference last year, he said that Foxtel would offer more targeted packages for streaming customers but said it would not go to a full “a la carte” offering, saying Netflix had proven it did not work.
But he said the SVOD companies had set the bar in terms of pricing, with $10-$15 the accepted range in consumers’ minds for such services.
“We need to tailor the packages more effectively to the consumer needs, but, like many things, if you look at our basic package on the broadcast product is perfect for mum and dad, a younger kids and an older kid, but it’s not what Australian household’s look like these days,” Tonagh said.
“So the intent with what we have done with Foxtel Play is to offer entry packages that there is one there that my mum will love, there is on there that my daughter will love, and the important thing is tailoring packages so that they fit fairly neatly.”
Foxtel has been approached for comment.
Abigail Dawson was Mumbrella's senior content journalist covering event content. She left Mumbrella to move into an agency role in 2020.
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Foxtel packages are a joke (be it terrestrial or streaming). I subscribed to Foxtel Play Drama + Sports package. Drama has showcase, which should contain all HBO content. Not so. Silicon Valley? It’s over on the Comedy Channel – which is conveniently located in another “package”.
Foxtel have deliberately carved out programming and placed one gem in a package of turds to effectively force subscribers to select multiple packages to get maybe 4 to 5 shows they are interested in. Then they pad the rest of the package with filler that no one is really interested in to try and justify it.
Game of Thrones – it’s over in Drama
Live Sport – you’ll need the Sports Package
Gogglebox or Selling Houses Australia – you’ll need Lifestyle
Silicon Valley – Comedy.
That’s $59 thanks, and it’s in SD. Which really hits hard when you’re watching the Sky Sports coverage which is syndicated from the UK and they brag about an event being in Ultra HD (aka 4K).
I tried to give Foxtel a chance, then I unsubscribed and reacquainted myself with qBittorrent .
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If there is not live football sports channel count me out.
Foxtel is still too expensive and refuses customers to select and pay for the specific channels they like to watch.
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The trouble with foxtel is there price range, especially golf live, as I have found that we only get to see 1&1/2>1&3/4 of the lpga coverage, the rest is all ads, replay shots and interviews, uf 4hrs is allocated, then whyvall the rest, I understand the ads, but the rest, blah..blah..yada..yada, and a $4 increase. So many repeat movies and drama shows, etc..etc.. I wonder and hope another competitor will give tele a new lease in programs, as soon as I like many will dump foxtel, oh the above about golf, I recorded it and noted all the above said.
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Wonder if it will come with an Xbox one app that actually works.
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It’s pathetic. If I could could just get AFL and Supercars plus the F1 I’d happily pay say $20 / month. I just don’t want the other crap that takes it to $49. FETCHTV fills that gap, and Amazon Prime gives me the Grand Tour.
Give the audience what they want Foxtel. Not what you THINK they want!
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So Foxtel are changing the name of something again – or introducing something new – I only just worked out the difference between Foxtel Go and Foxtel Play – so now we have NOW?? so confusing – and they just did heaps of promotion for Sydney Housewives (on radio that I heard) pushing people to Foxtel Play and now they are changing the name… nice way to confuse people.. I am sure in the bubble they work in – it all makes perfect sense – to the general public.. it is seriously confusing..
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Rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic again Foxtel?
I’m going to presume this ‘version’ of their streaming service will actually offer HD as standard, and be available seperate from their cable box subscription? DOA otherwise.
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Why on earth are they making it reliant on a 3rd party hardware (the puck), rather than simply have apps that connect directly to the service that allows people what they want, when they want, similar to every other SVOD service?
Anyway, until Foxtel actually offer HD I will never take them seriously. It’s embarrassing that while Netflix, Stan & Amazon Prime now all offer 4K, Foxtel still can’t work out how to let customers view anything other than SD.
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