As far as Aussie entertainment goes, Foxtel is somewhat of a grandfather figure these days: the wise old platform that was around before any of these shiny, new online services existed. It's still going strong with its pay TV and broadband offerings, but it had to pivot as streaming became the norm for a lot of consumers. This led to Foxtel Now and eventually BINGE.
In the opposite corner, Paramount Plus is another worthy destination for TV enthusiasts, movie buffs and sports fans. Which leads to the natural question – how does it compare with the likes of Foxtel and its streaming alternatives? Let's break it all down.
Paramount Plus is competitive at $9.99 a month. There is an annual subscription available for $89.99. You can stream on 2 devices at the same time, in HD video quality.
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Foxtel's pricing depends on a whole lot of factors. For pay TV, the basic channel package included in all bundles, Foxtel Plus, costs $52 a month. If you choose to add extra packs to your subscription, you'll pay more. To get everything available with Foxtel, you'll need the Platinum Plus bundle, usually priced at $140 a month.
If you prefer your entertainment delivered via the internet, BINGE prices starting at $10 a month for the Basic plan, which has ads and lets you stream on 1 device at a time in HD. The Standard plan enables you to watch on 2 devices simultaneously for $18 a month. Finally, the Premium plan is $22 a month and allows you to watch on up to 4 devices simultaneously. These latter 2 plans are available in 4K for selected titles.
A 7-day free trial is available for new customers.
Check out BINGE with a 7-day free trial
Deal
Stream movies and full series from HBO, Warner Bros., FX, BBC, NBC, CBS, Paramount and more.
Similarly to BINGE, you can subscribe to Foxtel Now, which starts at $25 a month and offers channel packs. Foxtel Now users can stream on 2 devices at the same time.
You can then personalise your subscription by adding Sport, Movies or Drama Extra for an additional monthly fee. Buy them all and you also get specialty packs Kids and Docos, but the total is $104 a month.
There is no longer a free trial.
Get entertainment and live sport in one place with Foxtel Now
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No installation and no lock-in contract. Sign up now.
Content is a big factor when choosing whether or not to subscribe to a new streaming service. Thankfully, both Paramount Plus and Foxtel have plenty to offer.
Paramount Plus brings you an intriguing mix of shows, with highlights like Yellowjackets, Tulsa King, 1883, Last King of the Cross, 1923, Five Bedrooms and NCIS. Movies are plentiful too, with reality TV heavily featured and a lot of content for kids courtesy of Nickelodeon.
Paramount Plus also offers live sport, with the platform practically becoming the home of domestic football. Subscribers can watch A-League men's and women's games, plus some matches of Australia's national teams. You can also catch the English FA Cup and AFC Champions League.
Switching to Foxtel, what you can watch depends on which service you pick. With Foxtel or Foxtel Now, you get access to content from channels included in your subscription. With BINGE, you get access to the platform's entire library regardless of which plan you get. There's a lot of overlap and most TV series available on Foxtel will be on BINGE and Foxtel Now too.
A huge appeal for Foxtel is its partnership with HBO. Popular series on all platforms include The Last of Us, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Euphoria, Succession and Colin from Accounts.
On the movie front, Foxtel gets a lot of recent blockbusters, which sometimes make their way to BINGE too. Still, the BINGE movie library is pretty solid, so there is enough there to catch your eye. Foxtel and Foxtel Now users need the Movies channel pack, which is extra.
The same applies for live sport. Foxtel offers over 50 sports on 9 live HD sports channels, but you need the dedicated Sports HD channel pack to watch the NRL, AFL, Big Bash League, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and more. BINGE only offers WWE live and on demand.
| Device | Foxtel Now | BINGE | Paramount Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC/Mac | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Xbox | ✖ | ✓ | ✖ |
| PS3 | ✓ | ✖ | ✖ |
| PS4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✖ |
| PS5 | ✖ | ✓ | ✖ |
| Smart TVs (selected models) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Apple TV | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android TV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Telstra TV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chromecast/Airplay | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Foxtel Now Box | ✓ | ✖ | ✖ |
| NVIDIA Shield | ✓ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Fetch TV | ✖ | ✖ | ✓ |
| Foxtel iQ | ✓ (Foxtel only) | ✖ | ✓ |
| Amazon Fire TV | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ |
Paramount Plus is accessible via web, or you can download the app to your favourite device. However, it doesn't support game consoles. You can download content for offline use. Alternatively, you can get Paramount Plus as a Prime Video Channel. In that case, you can watch on any device compatible with Prime Video.
Foxtel iQ comes with a set-top box that connects to your TV, as well as an app, Foxtel GO, that allows you to stream content live or on demand via laptop or mobile devices. Meanwhile, Foxtel Now and BINGE offer great device compatibility, including support for game consoles. A big downside for them is that you can't download content to your mobile devices.
When comparing these providers, Paramount Plus is the most affordable option, so it's worth considering for viewers on a budget. It buys you access to a wide library of shows and movies, with something for the entire family, including live football.
If you're after HBO titles, Foxtel is the obvious pick. You get more recent movies and more live sport. A pay TV subscription tends to get expensive, which applies to Foxtel Now as well. On the other hand, BINGE is great for those who don't care about sport and just want to enjoy some great on-demand entertainment. BINGE also has 4K titles if maximum picture quality is important to you.
Our advice? Consider the information above and take advantage of the free trials where available to make an informed decision.
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