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.
Am I able to get Foxtel Now via my xbox 360? I currently use it for Netflix just fine and don’t want to have to borrow my housemate’s ps4 every time I want to watch something.
Thanks.
Hi Nikki,
Thanks for contacting Finder.
Yes, you may stream Foxtel Now in your Xbox360. You may read our guide on how to set up Foxtel Now on Playstation for more details.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Judith
CAN I GET FOXTEL NOW ON MY TCL SMART TV?
Hello Jeff,
Yes, you may get Foxtel Now on your TCL Smart TV using Chromecast.
What is Chromecast?
Chromecast is a media streaming device that plugs into the HDMI port on a TV. Using the Foxtel Now app for iOS and Android, customers can press the cast icon to watch their shows on the big screen.
Step 1: Confirm Chromecast Wi-Fi network
Confirming that your device and the Chromecast device are on the same Wi-Fi network.
Check the Wi-Fi names that both devices are connected to are the same.
Step 2: Restart Device and Chromecast Device
Reboot your device and Chromecast device to refresh the link.
Reset your device you are using for Foxtel Now
Reset your Chromecast device
Turn back on both devices and then try to Chromecast again
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Gru
I would like to cancel my Foxtel go trial.
Hi Grieg,
Thanks for your comment.
If you don’t want to continue with your Foxtel Now service, you need to deactivate through My Account online. Please note if you are on a free trial period, you need to deactivate the subscription before the free trial period end date.
To cancel or deactivate your Foxtel Now service:
1. Go to My Foxtel Now
2. Log in to your account
3. Click the Deactivate button
4. You will be transferred to the “Deactivate Service” page. Fill in the form and click on the Deactivate button.
If you do this before your trial ends, you will still receive the full period of your trial. We will send you a reminder via email before the trial ends.
You can always resume your Foxtel Now services anytime by logging back in to My Account and simply clicking on the Reactivate button.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
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