Cable TV has dominated Aussie households for quite some time now. But if you're keen to watch a cable show or movie on the go, it can be quite a hassle. That's where Australia’s premier pay TV service, Foxtel, stepped in to launch Foxtel Now in August 2013, giving customers access to on-demand content from the ease of their smartphones.
Foxtel Now has gone through numerous changes in the past decade, including a name change (it was called Foxtel Play at launch), the addition of HD video playback and significant price hikes. Nonetheless, the service has remained an effective way to stream some of the best TV shows thanks to its exclusive channels and fast-tracked movies.
In fact, you no longer need to be an existing Foxtel customer to sign up for the streaming platform, making it easier to access on-demand content and live TV without needing multiple subscriptions.
We’ve put together this comprehensive guide to Foxtel Now to help you decide if it’s worth putting your cash down for. We’ve included information on its plans, the prices you’ll pay for each and how to choose the best add-on pack for your needs.
If, on the other hand, you’d prefer to get an overall look at all the platforms, head to our dedicated page on the price comparisons across streaming services in Australia, or check out what we think are the best streaming services in Australia. And if you're looking for some killer recommendations of what to watch tonight, our continuously updated guide is sure to have something you'll enjoy.
Foxtel Now Australia plans and prices
Foxtel Now delivers live TV channels, blockbuster movies and on-demand content that you can download on up to five devices. All Foxtel Now plans also come with two simultaneous HD streams. At the time of publishing, the platform offers new customers a 10-day free trial that you can cancel anytime.
Upon sign-up, you’ll have three options to choose from: the All Packs plan, the Essentials + Movies plan, and the Essentials + Sports plan. However, if you scroll down underneath these plans, you can build your own bundle with the mandatory AU$25 p/m Essentials plan as the base pack.
Much like its cable packages, Foxtel Now wants users to customise their experience based on their interests. During the trial, you can sign up for the All Packs plan, which gives you access to everything, but you are more than welcome to pick and choose your channels after it ends.
Foxtel Now offers four monthly starter plans:
Essentials + Movies pack | AU$45 p/m
Essentials + Sport pack | AU$54 p/m
All Packs | AU$59 p/m
Essentials pack | AU$25 p/m
Essentials + Movies
This pack includes several movie hubs and unlimited access to 46 live channels, including the compulsory Pop and Lifestyle starter pack. It has more than 1000 on-demand movies, and because of that, it has a monthly price of AU$45.
Essentials + Sports
Again, similar to the movie plan above, this pack contains unlimited access to over 30 lifestyle channels and 50 live sports to stream. You can watch sports 24/7 with Fox Sports, Fox Footy and ESPN. This plan adds AU$29 p/m to the essentials plan, costing you AU$54 p/m.
All Packs
The All Packs plan is undoubtedly the most expensive Foxtel Now offering. Currently, the plan costs AU$59 p/m under its introductory offer for new customers. However, keep in mind that the plan will increase its RRP of a mammoth AU$104 p/m after the first 12 months, costing around AU$1,248 annually. To put that annual subscription amount in perspective, it’s about the same price as a 12-month NBN 1000 plan.
Essentials Pack
Costing AU$25 p/m, the Essentials base pack includes over 25 channels, ranging from Pop and Lifestyle to Drama and Global News. This pack largely consists of the “essentials” from Foxtel cable TV packages, like HBO, Bloomberg and TLC.
The service allows you to customise your subscription to add content packs onto an Essential plan — such as Drama, Movies or Sports — for an extra fee. If you were to add these packs individually, it would set you back AU$84 p/m.
How to pick the right plan for your needs
Typically, choosing the right streaming plan for your needs comes down to the number of screens and streaming resolution. For Foxtel Now, on the other hand, there’s more to consider.
All plans come with a standard of five devices and two simultaneous streams, but the notable contender is the breadth of content on offer. For some, the essentials plan may satisfy their entertainment needs, while others may want to watch a new film or live sports more often.
Regardless of your plan, one subscription will suffice for any household size. However, it’s worth mentioning that you cannot create separate user profiles on your subscription, but you can switch back and forth between kids' shows and grown-up TV.
Are there ways to save on subscription costs?
Foxtel Now partners with Telstra, allowing customers to bundle the service with their home internet or mobile plans.
Telstra is offering AU$0 for the first month of an Essentials plan for new and returning subscribers. After that first month, though, customers will be charged AU$25 p/m on top of their Telstra bill.
How does Foxtel Now pricing compare to other streaming services?
There’s no denying that Foxtel Now is the most expensive streaming subscription in Australia right now, even with any introductory offer in mind. Not to mention a vast majority of Foxtel Now’s catalogue can be found on other streaming platforms, such as Stan, Binge and Netflix.
Foxtel Now’s lowest price point is a mere AU$3 more than Netflix’s premium offering, at AU$25p/m and AU$300 annually — which is massive for a singular streaming service.
How does Foxtel Now's content catalogue compare?
Foxtel Now offers users a selection of TV channels and programs they may not be able to stream anywhere else. In terms of content, the streamer is home to a massive 3,894 titles, which is made up of 2,133 movies and 1,761 television shows. This ranks the service in third place overall, following behind Netflix's 7,122 titles and Prime Video's 10,123 accolades.
Notably, the platform offers an extensive range of on-demand blockbuster movies such as Jennifer Lawrence-led No Hard Feelings, the horror flick Insidious: The Red Door, and the latest entry in the Fast & Furious series, Fast X.
Foxtel Now streamlines shows from major international TV giants like GoT Prequel House of the Dragon, the thrilling The White Lotus series, BBC’s Call the Midwife and Peacock/Fox 8’s Ted spin-off series.
With access to HBO, TLC, Lifestyle and more, it’s easy to binge-watch a series of your favourite guilty pleasure reality shows. These could include the Vanderpump franchises, 90-Day Fiance and its endless spin-offs, and the global editions of the home renovation show Love It or List It.
That said, if you’re mainly looking for a place to stream the latest HBO shows, like True Detective: Night Country and The Last of Us, Binge is a much more affordable option, starting at only AU$10 p/m.
Has the Foxtel Now price increased over time?
Since its introduction, Foxtel Now has increased by a massive AU$15 across all plan packs and has reinvented offerings.
In 2013, the platform cost AU$10 for kids, documentary and lifestyle packs, and AU$15p/m for drama and entertainment offerings. Now, the streamer’s monthly minimum cost is AU$25, and its plans resemble that of its offline cable TV packages.
Is a Foxtel Now subscription worth it?
If you’ve gotten this far, you’re probably still considering whether a Foxtel Now subscription is worth your hard-earned cash. Here’s what we suggest.
Foxtel Now offers an enormous content library and almost rivals Netflix in that vein. However, we don’t feel we can recommend an ongoing subscription to the service, mainly due to its hefty price tag.
As we’ve mentioned above, Foxtel Now is the most expensive streamer in Australia and its monthly cost for the All Packs plan could fund at least four premium subscriptions to different services. A significant portion of the platform’s library can be found elsewhere (and for much, much cheaper) on other services, too, such as Binge, Netflix and Stan. So, if you can find what you’re looking for on a platform you already subscribe to, signing up may be completely unnecessary.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you how you want to spend your moolah, so if you’re thinking of cancelling your subscription, we have a handy guide on how to cancel Foxtel Now you can check out here.
