If you like your TV and movies, and you have steered clear of Foxtel so far because of the cost, then it’s going to be hard not to rush to binge.com.au on Monday screaming “take my money”.
See More:
• Mediaweek’s guide to Binge Part 1: Pricing and content highlights
• Mediaweek’s guide to Binge Part 2: CEO Julian Ogrin on strategy
Foxtel now has a history of involvement in streaming platforms (Presto and now Kayo). There are two things Foxtel seems to have learnt from its journey so far – keep it simple and keep it cheap. Kayo is simple, Binge, well, not exactly. Kayo is cheap compared to previous ways of having to get access to all of the subscription TV sports. Binge is brilliant value, which makes it OK for now that there are still a few grey areas around movies and bits and pieces of the TV offering. (We have yet to road test the streaming platform, but if Kayo is anything to go by, the tech side of the equation should be OK.)
Why you’d say ‘yes’
For $10 (standard def or $14 high def) you will suddenly have access to a very impressive treasure trove of drama television and movies.
But wait, there’s more, Binge has also added a collection of the finest lifestyle and tackiest reality programming too.
The Binge potential customer base is pretty big – two thirds of the country who have resisted, for various reasons, jumping on board with Foxtel.
Depending on your monthly entertainment budget, this is our ranking of the best bang for the streaming buck. (Prices for HD packages)
• Binge $14
• Netflix $14
• Stan $14
• Amazon Prime Video $7
That’s a pretty amazing package of TV programs and movies for $49.
Sports
• Kayo $25
Buy your broadband or mobile phone coverage from Optus and you might qualify for Optus Sport at no extra charge.
Why you’d say ‘no’
Quite a few reasons to quality for this category. But Foxtel officially is OK with that, acknowledging it is not for everyone.
1. The cost. Starting at $10 seems a bargain, but not everyone has a spare $10, particularly at the moment. If you have carefully curated a collection of free viewing options you could just be wondering where you are magically going to find the time to start investigating an extra 10,000 hours of extra content.
Australian FTA broadcasters offer a selection of 21 live channels – soon to be 22 when 10 adds its new ViacomCBS stream. Add to that an impressive library of on-demand content from iview, SBS On Demand, 7plus, 9 Now and 10 Play.
There is also the ad supported Tubi, the public library service Kanopy, and the free level on YouTube. And if you buy your broadband from Optus or one of other partnering ISPs you might qualify for a Fetch box and starter channel pack for no extra cost.
2. You love sports. If you do you and can afford it you would have Kayo or the sports package as part of a Foxtel subscription. If you rarely watch movies or drama, there’s not much for you at Binge.
3. You are a Foxtel subscriber, and yes it may cost a few bob, but you are happy with your set top box and your subscription package. There is nothing that Binge has that you won’t also find on Foxtel. And there are a few things Foxtel has that you won’t find on Binge. Movies for instance. Which ones? It’s complicated. You get the feeling Foxtel and Binge are still feeling their way through the movie rights minefield about what exactly will go to Binge and when. More on that in Mediaweek when we get that information.