Foxtel to ‘revolutionise’ TV with Netflix integration, increased on-demand offering and simplified interface

“Welcome to the new Foxtel experience” was the rallying cry from Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany as he unveiled upgrades and updates in a bid to position Foxtel as a real competitor in the subscription video on demand contest.

The ‘revolution’ includes more on-demand content, a new, simplified user interface, and an integration with Netflix, which places Netflix and Foxtel content side-by-side.

The launch event today aimed to show media buyers, marketers and TV/ content consumers that they really can “have it all” with Foxtel.

“Our aspiration has always been… to put all of our content on demand for our customers, so they can get the most out of our content – the best of TV, live, and on-demand, all in one place,” Delany said, noting the company has been working towards this since 2005, but that Australia’s internet limitations previously curtailed this dream.

Delany inception: On stage today, and in 2005

“Well today, from now, we can deliver on that promise.”

Delany said the on-demand Foxtel library is now unmatched in Australia in terms of its value and quality.

Despite the apparently unmatched library, Foxtel has also gotten into bed with streaming rival, Netflix, saying the move will simplify the content viewing experience for consumers, who are sick of jumping between platforms, inputs and apps, with different remotes, experiences and expectations.

“Now, Netflix is Australia’s favourite streaming platform. And today I’m able to announce that Netflix has been completely integrated in a very deep way into the new Foxtel experience. So Foxtel and Netflix side by side,” he said, stressing the integration’s simplicity.

New and existing customers (who re-sign a new contract) will be able to get sport and drama on a 12-month contract, including six months of free Netflix, for $58 per month.

The increased focus on the on-demand experience, combined with the Netflix integration, will be supported by a simpler user interface, which will be rolled out across the country in coming months.

“It’s completely fresh in its look and feel,” Delany said. “It’s been simplified. It’s driven by amazingly smart software, and you can discover at the touch of a button 16,000 hours of TV.

“We have made it simple to deliver on the promise of the best of TV and on demand all in one place. Simple, just like TV should be.”

The new interface, however, is a big project, with over 1m households currently using the iQ3 and iQ4 set-top boxes. From today, Delany said, 50,000 of these households will start to get the upgrades, with the software upgrades completed by November.

Delany: ‘Welcome to the new Foxtel experience’

“It will unlock all of the on-demand content, new interface, and all of the smarts. So this is very, very big in scale, and it’s going to have an immediate impact. 1m Australian households getting the new Foxtel experience, should revolutionise the way things are,” Delany said.

And despite continuing questions about the future of subscription television, and in particular Foxtel, as the world moves towards streaming giants and new consumption habits, Delany was upbeat about the revolution, Foxtel’s longevity and what it can offer consumers.

“That is the Foxtel promise – to put the best of TV and on demand in one place. To make TV simple, the way it should be. To make it great value. And we’ll continue on that journey,” he said.

“Foxtel’s always been a place where we like to put everything that’s the best in one place. The best for our customers. Anything they love, and it doesn’t have to be owned by Foxtel ourselves… That is what makes Foxtel different. Everything is in one place. No one else puts sport, movies, documentaries, kids, comedy, everything, together. And of course it’s the best of the best. That’s our goal, that’s our promise.”