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Optus to offer free six month subscriptions to Netflix as streaming war heats up

Screen Shot 2015-03-11 at 9.46.03 amAs the streaming and telco wars heat up Optus has fired a major salvo at its rivals, announcing it will give new and existing customers a free six-month subscription to global streaming service Netflix with bundles of mobile or fixed-line internet packages.

The deal comes just weeks ahead of the formal launch of Netflix in Australia, with the global streaming giant confirming it will provide a dedicated Australian offering from March 24.

Allen Lew, Optus CEO said in a statement: “With our subscription offer, we’re giving customers all the entertainment they need in the one place, and the freedom to watch what they want, when they want it.”

Optus will offer new and re-contracting consumers the six month subscription from 24 March until 5 July  when they sign up to a home broadband bundle or postpaid mobile service at $60 or more a month or a postpaid mobile broadband service on a $30 plan or above, on a 24 month contract.

It will also give prepaid customers a three month subscription when they purchase any prepaid phone or mobile broadband device and activate the included SIM.

Telcos iiNet and Optus have both confirmed that customers will be able to access the Netflix service without it affecting their data-caps, an unsurprising move which comes only weeks after OTT platform Fetch TV announced it had made a deal to carry Netflix. Fetch TV offers a range of IPTV services to telco players including iiNet, Optus and Dodo.

Telstra has also said it will uncap access to Foxtel’s streaming service Presto in an announcement made last week.

Nine and Fairfax venture has struck a mobile partnership with Vodafone in a move designed to tap into the telco’s customer base. 

Nic Christensen 

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