Foxtel’s entertainment streaming service Binge launches with packages from $10/month
Foxtel today launched its entertainment streaming service Binge with a reported 10,000 hours of content and packages from $10 per month.
The platform follows the success of Foxtel’s sports streaming service Kayo shares the same CEO with Julian Ogrin at the helm. Binge will charge $10 per month for one standard definition stream, $14 per month for two high definition streams and $18 per month for four high definition streams.
Ogrin is confident the platform can succeed despite launching into a saturated market, with Disney+, Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video and the locally-owned broadcast video on demand (BVOD) platforms from each TV network already operating in Australia.
“This is a next generation streaming service that we want to go beyond providing the best content by creating an emotional connection with viewers based on unapologetic entertainment pleasure, a place you can escape to for that precious ‘me time’. We couldn’t be more excited to pull the curtain back and show Australia this incredible product,” said Ogrin.
“The time is right to unleash this new service providing Australians with the best in drama, lifestyle, reality and movies. With an amazing line-up of entertainment from the world’s best brands, Binge will have something for everyone, whenever you want to watch, on your favourite device. And with new content added daily, there will always be something fresh to enjoy.”
Binge offers a two-week free trial and no lock-in contracts. It leverages Foxtel’s content deals for local and global programming, including HBO, BBC, NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia. Launch shows include Westworld, Succession, Big Little Lies, Breeders and Mrs. America. The platform will also include evergreen content such as The Sopranos and The Office.
Movies and documentaries will also be available on the platform. Binge will use curated carousels to make user recommendations and allow users to save shows on Binge Lists.
“We have had time to observe and listen to what streamers want from their service. We know streamers can spend on average up to 10 minutes trying to find something to watch, with innovative features Binge will make the browsing experience easier, so all customers have to do is sit back and enjoy the shows and movies they want to watch,” said Ogrin.
Foxtel has struggled with several rounds of job cuts over the last few months. News Corp’s results information, posted last month, showed subscriptions at Kayo had also fallen off during the COVID-19 pandemic with the cancellation of live sport.
OOf I don’t think the NBN can handle another streaming service. Sorry Newscorp.
Maybe you shouln’t have gotten Turnbull to gut the NBN to ward off the streaming services.
User ID not verified.
Can you tell on what planet a company would bother having an SD service – let alone charging $4 extra for HD???? Foxtel still dont quite get it….
User ID not verified.
I cannot work it out. Is Binge a terrible name or is this genius branding in disguise and will it shortly become part of everyday language like Hoover or Uber?
User ID not verified.
That staggered pricing structure is ridiculous – why wouldn’t they have a similar pricing offering as the other streaming platforms?
User ID not verified.
Netflix has 3 pricing options:
– $10
– $14
– $20
Stan has 3 pricing options
– $10
– $14
– $17
User ID not verified.
Both Netflix and Stan have a similar pricing structure.
User ID not verified.
You only need 5-6 mbps to stream HD, easily obtainable on the NBN
User ID not verified.
Doesn’t sound as though it has much when it comes to really great new shows. In the end that’ll determine if it lives or dies.
User ID not verified.
Carousels and lists. So next-gen…
User ID not verified.
Just like Stan and Netflix Basic at $10 Hd at $14
User ID not verified.
Great name for google serch results when you type in what to Binge Watch? you get Binge (by foxtel)
User ID not verified.
Its what the market/general public expects
User ID not verified.
Netflix and Stan have similar price points for SD and HD steaming.
User ID not verified.
Do you have an issue with Netflix having an SD service and charging an extra 4 dollars for HD? Or is it just bad because its Foxtel? What about the fact Stan also do it? Its a standard practice.
User ID not verified.
I suggest you do some research Kate. Netflix has 3 pricing plans, Stan has 3 pricing plans. Is your problem simply because its Foxtel?
User ID not verified.
Netflix does the same thing though. Most streaming services do.
User ID not verified.
Kerry, basically a business that serves the other one-third of the country outside of the capital cities.
User ID not verified.
So Foxtel built a whole new service pretty much centered around HBO content (or at least that’s pretty much all anyone’s ever going to want from it). Wonder why they didn’t just do a deal with HBO to license their brand to use in Australia rather than go to the trouble and expense of creating their own brand?
User ID not verified.
Is this news?
It reads like an advert 🙁
User ID not verified.
Well well well they FINALLY did it…
Is Foxtel a tech company now? Let’s hope it keeps up with demand. The best thing they can do is monitor the app reviews in the app store on a consistent basis… This is many a companies downfall and blind spot for some reason.
User ID not verified.
Will this follow the original foxtel model of commercial free then slowly introduce them?
User ID not verified.
Not surprising it really is standard pricing strategy for subscriptions.
“Good, better and best pricing” is all the rage these days. There is some research three is the perfect number.
The cheapest option is a bit of decoy, as consumers are most likley to pay that little bit extra for the middle priced plan and those who want it all will splurge for deluxe. Put you can put $10 as your headline price.
All about getting the margin up on the revenue side.
User ID not verified.
They could have just dropped the price of Foxtel Now and rolled out the Kayo/Binge platform as their next gen Foxtel Go app. Would have achieved the same result without all the added expense of launching a new brand into market.
Why have two independent teams developing two competing products? It’s a terrible business strategy.
The idea that the Binge name would appeal more to consumers is dumb marketing play. Particularly when literally every news outlet and consumer knows it’s a Foxtel product anyway.
User ID not verified.
One flaw I have noticed is that you cannot purchase Binge gift cards to purchase for your streaming service which is what Stan and Netflix offers. Also some DC shows like Supergirl and Legends of tomorrow are excluded from Binge.
User ID not verified.
HBO catalogue!
User ID not verified.
News couldn’t beat them – despite ensuring we wasted vast sums of taxpayer money on hugely expensive Third World infrastructure – so they’ve decided to join them.
User ID not verified.
Even better, it’s getting the HBO Max catalogue 🙂 Which is HBO plus all the other Warner Media output not otherwise sold elsewhere.
User ID not verified.
Because when the output and name licencing deals run out, WarnerMedia can’t just pick up all the brand goodwill for free.
User ID not verified.
NBN Co didn’t install third world infrastructure. The copper from the node to the premises is the sub-par part, and that was there before.
Anyone who wants to pay to replace that last stage can do so. All the ALP would have done differently is to have the government pay for that section as well. A future government could choose to do that.
User ID not verified.
Hopefully the backend of Foxtel Go and the two Streamotion services are the same, or the second is an evolution of the first.
As far as two teams developing similar products, perhaps the best result of that was the Apple Mac. Apple would have probably died as a company if they didn’t set up a second team to compete against Jobs’ Apple Lisa project.
Regarding the name “Foxtel”, “Fox” is no longer an entertainment brand. There’s every chance Foxtel will cease to exist in the near future, and there will only be Streamotion.
Foxtel is trying to compete with Netflix as it best can. Having a separate brand for the part of it’s catalogue that is least covered by Netflix (Kayo) makes it easier to consider subscribing to both. Binge in an entertainment brand whose purchasers are likely to already have Netflix (or Stan).
Given the relative lack of children’s programming on Binge (and the lack of a dedicated menu category for it), that might be the focus of the next Streamotion service.
User ID not verified.