Foxtel may have long been 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. It offers subscriptions to more than 70 live television channels and thousands of titles on demand.
The online service allows users to subscribe to various channel packages based on their interests. Unlike BINGE, which offers access to the entire content library for a flat fee, what you can watch on Foxtel Now depends on what you're willing to pay for.
Customise your subscription and opt for TV shows (including HBO content), movies, live sport and more. You can pay on a monthly basis so you can cancel your subscription anytime.
10-day free trial of Foxtel Now
To get Foxtel Now, you need to subscribe to the basic Essentials pack for a month. After that, you can add other packs to your subscription. Each add-on pack incurs an additional monthly fee.
With all packs added on, Foxtel Now can cost up to a month.
Below is a full comparison of Foxtel Now plans and packages. Promotions are often running, so you might score a discount, but sometimes these will require a 12-month commitment.
Every channel pack expands your entertainment horizons even further. The Essentials pack, for instance, gives you access to Foxtel originals, HBO content, news and reality TV. You can watch popular shows like Succession, The Last of Us, Colin from Accounts, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon and The Twelve.
The Sport channel pack offers 12 dedicated sports channels and enables subscribers to watch every game of the AFL, NRL and Super Netball, plus F1, Supercars, MotoGP and more. Meanwhile, the Movies pack grants you access to over 1,000 movies on demand and Drama Extra adds 7 more drama-heavy channels to your subscription. The Ultimate Bundle delivers everything mentioned above, as well as Kids and Docos content.
Technically there's a difference. Foxtel Now is its own standalone streaming service and Foxtel GO is a free add-on service you get for being a Foxtel iQ subscriber.
However, in 2023 they are exactly the same. In fact if you tried to download the Foxtel Now app on the App Store or Google Play Store you'll actually download the Foxtel GO app.
You can register up to 5 devices on a single Foxtel Now account. You can then watch content on any 2 of those devices at the same time. To stream on some devices, you need to use the Foxtel GO app, but the service is the same either way. Similarly, PS3 is only compatible with the older Foxtel Play app.
Check out the complete device list below:
You can also use Google Nest to control Foxtel Now. We have instructions on how to set up Foxtel Now on your device of choice.
Foxtel Now offers quality programming (hello HBO shows), but you have to pay a lot for it. Following the model of its pay TV parent, you sign up for different packs to watch certain things. If you want to watch everything on Foxtel Now, the cost is an eye-watering $104 a month, which in the era of monthly streaming packages available in the realm of $10–$15 doesn't compare price-wise, no matter how good the TV shows featured on it are.
The user interface is fine to use, but like most streaming services, it is hard to discover content, especially when teasers and previews are shown alongside actual shows and movies. There is the attraction of live TV, but outside of something like news or sport, live programming isn't that important unless you want to avoid spoilers. Device capability is an issue, especially when there are still devices that use a Foxtel Play app, which is confusing when it changed its name from that back in 2017.
If you prefer an a la carte option you could get Foxtel Now, but when there are cheaper, all-you-can-eat options available, you'd be better off with the latter.
Mark Neilsen
Streaming writer at Finder
Once the undisputed champ of Australia's pay TV scene, the arrival of streaming has threatened Foxtel's relevancy. Especially given the price of Foxtel Now is extremely hard to justify in 2023. But it still does have a use case.
If you want one app to rule them all, then Foxtel Now can give you a lot of the world's best TV, movies, sport, docos, news and kids' programming in one place. It's true some content has been corralled into rival platforms like Disney Plus and Paramount Plus, but there's still plenty of quality on offer.
What I enjoy most is the linear channels. Yes, you can watch content on demand, but being able to channel surf takes away the endless scroll discovery issue of other apps. I also like the dedicated Movie Premiere channel, which points you straight to the latest flicks rather than hiding them among legacy content.
Do these joys justify the price? Probably not. It's still only HD at best, and the audio quality is very poor. And I encounter more bugs with the Foxtel apps than any other. If nothing else, the lack of investment in improving the app is worrying.
Chris Stead
Finder innovations editor
Depending on channel packs, Foxtel Now comes with a generous library of live and on-demand content, including sport. Here's how it stacks up against Paramount Plus, Netflix, BINGE and Kayo Sports.
Compare even more streaming services using our table below.
Can I watch Formula 1 on Foxtel? How much would it cost?
Hi Greg,
Thanks for getting in touch with Finder. I hope all is well with you. 😃
Upon checking, yes, you can watch Formula 1 on Foxtel. You would need to get their Entertainment + Sports package which will cost $55 per month. Foxtel Play customers with a $10 entry pack plus the Sports pick will pay $39 per month.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
Foxtel Now is utter garbage, billing and service wise.
Hi Chris,
Thank you for reaching out to Finder.
I’m sorry to hear that you are not happy with Foxtel Now’s service and billing. You may want to reach out to their customer support to see how can hey help you for the issue that you may have with them. If in case they cannot satisfy with your expected resolution, you can opt to take your complaint further.
Hope that you can get the resolution you need from Foxtel.
Kind Regards,
Mai
I am a pensioner. How much to add sport to my Foxtel?
Hi Michael,
Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.
If you’re an existing Foxtel customer, the add-on price of sports package is $29. I’m afraid that pensioner discount with Foxtel has been discontinued since 2016, please contact Foxtel directly on this matter.
I hope this helps.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni
Could I access all free to air channels with Foxtel?
I live in Caves Beach.
Hi Pat,
Thank you for reaching out to finder.
Foxtel is an internet streaming service and does not have free to air channels. You would need to subscribe to a package when you visit the Foxtel website so start the service. Please see the steps below:
*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 (after your free two-week trial), in accordance with your monthly billing cycle.
Sign in on your device via the website on PC and Mac via the Google Chrome browser or download the Foxtel Now app to your devices.
Enjoy the latest entertainment from all over the world.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Reggie
I had Foxtel now about a year ago it was set up by my mobile company cas I’m technologically challenged. It is still on my iPad but I need to know if it can be reactivated cas all details the same bar email
Hi Jennie,
Thanks for getting in touch! Yes, you may reactivate your Foxtel Now and you may check this by contacting Foxtel. You may find their contact details on their main website.
Hope this helps! Feel free to message us should you have further questions.
Best,
Nikki