Video streaming services in Australia: 2017 edition
What can you watch? The answer is lots… especially if you have more than one streaming subscription.
With more than one in four people now subscribing to Netflix or a similar service, streaming is rapidly becoming a household term in Australia.
This is a competitive landscape, however, and the providers you looked to in 2016 may not be your choice for 2017. Some are no longer available, while there are new kids on the block that have just joined the scene.
Here’s a rundown of some of the current options for Australian streaming service providers.
Netflix
Image courtesy: Netflix on the Google Play store
As of late 2016, 5.57 million Australians had a Netflix subscription. While the service in Australia has more limited content than the US version, it has been steadily building since launching locally two years ago.
By paying a monthly subscription, users are able to access a large library of TV shows, documentaries and movies via their smart television or connected devices. A subscription allows you to set up accounts for multiple users in your household and to create restricted viewing channels for children and young teenagers.
Some of the most watched shows on Netflix include How I Met Your Mother, The Office, House, M.D. and Breaking Bad. These are available to stream any time along with Netflix’s popular original series House of Cards, Jessica Jones, Stranger Things and Daredevil.
Stan
Image courtesy: Stan on the Google Play store
Shows like Ray Donovan, UnREAL and Better Call Saul are all currently draw cards for Stan, the locally based streaming service that launched in 2015.
Stan will charge you $10 per month for a subscription that lets you watch on up to six devices.
Stan has several exclusive series in the works, including The Other Guy, Merchants of Misery and Chaperones. These will be added to the lineup of Stan-only Australian shows Wolf Creek and No Activity.
hayu
Image courtesy: hayu on the Google Play store
Love TV but want real drama? hayu has over 3,000 episodes of reality TV – with many becoming available for streaming the same day they are aired in the US.
The cost for hayu in Australia starts at $5.99 per month, granting users access to the guilty pleasures of shows like Keeping up with the Kardashians, Mariah’s World, #RichKids of Beverly Hills and the many Real Housewives incarnations.
hayu offers box-sets with thousands of hours of content for the ultimate in binge-watching.
Amazon Prime Video
Image courtesy: Amazon Prime Video on the Google Play store
New to the party Down Under, Amazon Prime Video became available in Australia in late 2016. For a cost of around $8 (USD$5.99) per month after a six month trial period of about $4 (USD$2.99) per month, the service includes original series of dystopian drama The Man in the High Castle, 80s era comedy Red Oaks and legal thriller Goliath.
Features of Amazon Prime Video include no lock-in contract and availability on up to three devices. The system also provides automatic picture and audio quality adjustment to reduce buffering. Users can tune in via browser or app and also opt to download shows and movies to watch when they are offline.
OzFlix
Image courtesy: OzFlix on the Google Play store
Launched with the goal of making Australian films easily accessible to local and international audiences, OzFlix contains exclusively Australian content. While the tagline promises ‘Every Aussie Movie. Ever’, this is currently a work in progress.
Nevertheless, you will still find plenty of new and old favourites via this platform, which invites you to pay-per-view rather than with a subscription. Titles include family favourite Red Dog as well as comedy favourites The Dish, The Castle and Muriel’s Wedding.
You can even go way back to find classics such as Jedda and The Man From Snowy River. Rental prices start from $3.79.
Foxtel Play
Image courtesy: Foxtel Go on the Google Play store
Foxtel’s Presto stopped streaming at the end of last year, but as an alternative Foxtel Play is free for Foxtel subscribers or available as a stand-alone service. This premium service offers access to some of the latest hot shows, movie releases, documentaries and sporting events that you can’t get on rival streaming platforms.
Users have the option of watching live or on-demand. Content includes US drama series Scandal, Hollywood movies including Independence Day, Resurgence and local drama Wentworth. The channel streams the US Open golf as well as NRL, AFL and Formula 1.
Pricing for Foxtel Play depends on the content you want to access, with packages including Lifestyle, Sport, Movies, Docos and Kids.
With the future of television becoming more about broadband than broadcast, these streaming services are expected to grow their subscriber base over the coming years, meaning more exclusive, quality content will become available.
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