Australian pay-TV provider Foxtel is revamping its streaming service Foxtel Play from December and shutting down the Presto streaming service. Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh said Foxtel Play will be a "simpler, cheaper and more flexible IP delivered product", similar to HBO Now in the US and Now TV by Sky in the UK.
The new service will have five entry-level tiers, including two options for drama priced at AUD 15 per month each or AUD 25 for both, and at the AUD 10 per month level, an option for Lifestyle, one for Documentary and one for Kids. In addition, customers will be able to take the Sports tier for an extra AUD 25 per month and the Movies tier for an additional AUD 20 per month. Subscribers will have access to all linear channels in the tier along with all of the on-demand, catch up and library content available to that tier plus mobile and tablet access via Foxtel Go. Existing Foxtel Play customers will be transferred to the new pricing from December.
The announcement comes on the same day as Foxtel revealed that it acquired Seven West Media’s shares in their Presto TV joint venture. The streaming service started in earlier 2015 was a 50-50 joint venture between the companies. Presto will be shut down, and customers will be invited to transition to the new Foxtel Play packages from December. The Presto service will cease on 31 January 2017. No financial details of the takeover were disclosed.
