Foxtel Now is more than just Foxtel through the Internet. Here's what you need to know about this digital streaming service.
Foxtel may be the dominant force in pay TV in Australia, but the company saw the potential for Internet streaming entertainment way back in 2013. Formerly known as Foxtel Play, Foxtel Now is the pay TV of the digital age, offering subscriptions to more than 60 live television channels as well as thousands of video-on-demand titles.
With the closure of Foxtel's Presto joint venture, Foxtel’s streaming service also underwent a significant overhaul, from its pricing to its channel packages in December of 2016 and more recently in June 2017, as it rebranded from Foxtel Play to Foxtel Now. The transition to Foxtel Now brought with it Chromecast support and HD streaming on selected devices and a brand-new user interface.
The service can be streamed through a variety of devices, including the Telstra TV streaming box, PCs and Macs through the Google Chrome browser, plus selected iOS and Android phones and tablets.
In the near future, Foxtel will also update its Foxtel Play apps on Smart TVs and games consoles like the Playstation 4 and Xbox One to the Foxtel Now interface, though current Foxtel Play customers will still be able to access the service through these apps.
Unlike a full Foxtel subscription, there are no lock-in contracts, so you can cancel Foxtel Now at any time. That said, it's worth noting that you'll need to cancel before the end of the month to avoid being charged for the next month too.
Compare Foxtel Now packages
Foxtel now has five starter packs to choose from including the Lifestyle, Kids and Docos packs for $10/mth and the Pop and Drama pack for $15/mth.
The Drama and Pop packs include the Showcase Channel, which is Foxtel's home for HBO content. That means you'll be able to stream Game of Thrones, Westworld and more for as little as $15 a month.
| Package | Monthly price | Channels included |
|---|---|---|
| Docos | $10 | Discovery, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Turbo, Nat Geo People, CI, A&E, Discovery Science, Animal Planet, BBC Knowledge, History, Nat Geo Wild |
| Lifestyle | $10 | Lifestyle, Arena, Lifestyle Home, Lifestyle You, E!, Lifestyle Food, Style TLC |
| Kids | $10 | Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Nick Jr, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, BBC CBeebies, BabyTV, Boomerang, Discovery Kids |
| Drama | $15 | Showcase, BBC UKTV, Box Set, BBC First, Universal Channel, 13th Street |
| Pop | $15 | Showcase, Syfy, Binge, FOX8, Comedy Channel, FX, MTV |
Once you've got your base content sorted, you can consider moving on to the premium stuff. While streaming video has been growing substantially across all providers, Foxtel Now is still the dominant force when it comes to streaming sports online.
It's worth noting that the sports package offers access to Foxtel's English Premiere League team channels (LFCTV, Manchester United TV and Chelsea TV) for 1c per channel per year. Without the sports package, customers must pay $5 per channel per month.
If you're more of a movie lover than a sports fan, Foxtel Now has also got you covered with a dedicated premium movie package.
| Package | Monthly price | Channels included |
|---|---|---|
| Sport | $25 | Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Sports 3, Fox Sports 4, Fox Sports 5, BeIn Sports 1, BeIn Sports 2, BeIn Sports 3, ESPN, ESPN 2, EuroSport, Footy Play (Not available on PC/Mac) |
| Movies | $20 | Foxtel Movies Premiere, Foxtel Movies Disney, Foxtel Movies Masterpiece, Foxtel Movies Action, Foxtel Movies Romance, Foxtel Movies Thriller, Foxtel Movies Family, Foxtel Movies Comedy, Foxtel Movies More, World Movies |
Regardless of what combination of channel packs you opt for, Foxtel Now also includes access to V hits, TVSN, Fox Sports News, Sky News Live, Sky News Weather, Sky News Business and Foxtel News Channel.
How does Foxtel Now work?
If you’ve used a streaming service like Netflix or Stan before then you should be comfortable with Foxtel Now. If you are completely new to the streaming game, here's how it works:
- Go to the Foxtel Now website, sign up for your package of choice, add on your additional premium packs and arrange your account details. You’ll be direct debited from your chosen account on a monthly basis, in accordance with your monthly billing cycle.
- Sign in on your device via the website on PC and Mac and the official app on all other devices
- Enjoy the latest entertainment from all over the world.
Easy right? Before you get started, though, there are a couple of additional criteria that you'll need to meet to be able to access Foxtel Now.
- Internet connection and data: Foxtel Now is simply the streaming service, so you’ll still need to have an Internet connection to stream shows (minimum 3Mbps) and enough data on your broadband plan to cater for your streaming needs. But the good news is that since it's a streaming service and not pay TV, there's no installation required and anyone in Australia with an Internet connection and compatible device can access it.
- Australian residence: Foxtel Now is only available to Australian residences.
Foxtel Now compatible devices
You can register up to five devices on a single Foxtel Now account. You can then watch content on any two devices at the same time. Bear in mind that some channels have device restrictions, so even if you do have an eligible device, you might not be able to access all channels on it. The best option is to contact Foxtel if you have any questions or doubts.
- iPhone 4s or above, and iPad 2 or above (using iOS 8 or above)
- All Android devices (using Jellybean 4.1 or above)
- PC/Mac - Using Google Chrome
- PC - Windows XP with IE8 or above
- Mac - OS X Snow Leopard 10.6, OS X Lion 10.7 with Safari version 5 or above
- Telstra TV
- Chromecast
- PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- LG smart TVs (selected 2013 models)
- Samsung smart TVs (2012-2015 models), any Samsung Smart Hub-enabled 2012-2013 model Blu-ray Players and Home Theatre Systems
- Sony smart TVs (selected 2014 models)
Streaming quality for Foxtel Now
Foxtel Now lets users stream Foxtel content in 720p High Definition for the first time. You’ll need a minimum speed of 3Mbps to enjoy standard definition streams and a minimum speed of 7Mbps for HD content, when available. Not all channels are available in HD, and roughly half of the VOD content is currently classed as HD.
Foxtel Now trial offer
One of the key benefits of a streaming video service as opposed to a full pay TV service is that there are no installation costs, meaning you can trial a service for free to see if it works for you.
Foxtel is currently offering Australian customers a free two-week trial of Foxtel Now. To sign up, you will have to provide your credit card details, however, you won't be charged during the trial period. Should you continue your service beyond two weeks, Foxtel will charge your account for a month's subscription of your nominated package. If you choose to subscribe fully, then your card will be debited monthly according to your billing cycle.
You can cancel your subscription at any time, but be aware that you'll need to cancel it before your billing cycle ends or you'll be charged for the following month.
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I have a Panasonic Smart TV which isn’t in the list of devices above that will work with Foxtel Play. Is there a work around for this and do you know if this is likely to change in future.
Hi Craig,
Thank you for your enquiry.
According to Foxtel, the Foxtel Play app is not available on any Panasonic televisions and there seems to be no updates yet as to when Panasonic Smart TVs will be include in the list of Foxtel Play compatible devices.
For other options, you may stream Foxtel Play through gaming consoles such as PlayStation 3 & 4 or Xbox One. You may also use Telstra TV set-top boxes, Samsung Blu-Ray players or PCs and Macs.
Kind regards,
Jason
So if I want to watch Game of Thrones, I pay $15 for Drama or Showcase but I still can’t stream it when I want to, I can’t do catch up for previous seasons. Great deal! Back to the VPN.
Hi Boris,
Thank you for your inquiry and
As long as Foxtel has the licence to show the Games of Thrones, you will be able to view it. However, just like any other internet streaming TV services, once their licence to air the Game of Thrones expires, they may have to delete it from their list and you may no longer be able to watch it.
Cheers,
May
Hi, does the sport option cover super rugby ( not just Australian games ), NRL, the 4 Nations rugby test series, and the Olympic’s and where do I view a program guide? Thanks
My laptop crashed and i need to download it again but the site just keeps telling me i am an existing customer and i cant see where else i can download it from!
Hi Sue,
If it’s just the link for downloading the app you need, it should appear on this page: https://www.foxtel.com.au/foxtelplay/how-it-works/pc-mac.html — roughly halfway down, depending on whether you’re installing on a PC or a Mac. If you’re having issues once installed with it signing in, you’ll need to contact Foxtel directly as that’s beyond our control.
Regards,
Alex.
Will I be able to get AFL games if I only pick Drama and Premium Movies?
Hi Hughie,
Unfortunately not. I would suggest signing up for the AFL Live app on iPhone, iPad or PC. AFL Live costs $4.99 for a week, $14.99 for a month or $89.99 for the year.
Thanks,
Brodie
Hi, is foxtel play unmetered if i have telstra internet?
Hi Kanda,
If you have Telstra fixed line broadband, your Foxtel Play usage will be unmetered. This does not include streaming over Telstra mobile broadband.
Cheers,
Brodie
HI,
I have been a Foxtel subscriber for years and recently connected my iPad with Foxtel Go,
I have read somewhere that you can use GO on your smart TVs , so have been trying for days to do this , sadly with no success, I thought I had found the answer when I read about PLAY, but find that this is a paid subscription, as I already pay Foxtel for my plan , and can get this on my iPad ,how come I can’t display it on my Samsung TV?.
Hope you can help ???.
Thank you,
Norman P
Hi Norman,
Unfortunately, Foxtel Go is not compatible with Smart TVs or streaming media players. Foxtel claims this a licensing issue. If you have the capability, there is always the option of connecting your laptop to your TV via HDMI while using Foxtel Go. That’s the only workaround available to Foxtel Go customers.
Hope that helps,
Brodie
Can I take my laptop with Foxtel Go and use it at a different IP address?
Hi Steve,
You certainly can. The only way Foxtel restricts the use of Foxtel Go is by the number of devices you have registered under the one account. You can download the app on three different devices, but can only stream Foxtel Go on two devices at a time.
Thanks,
Brodie