Dogs and cat living together, mass hysteria: Foxtel to add Netflix to its next set-top box

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 29 September 2016

The next version of Foxtel's IQ set-top box will run third party apps from rival services including Netflix and Stan, according to a report published by the Australian Financial Review.

"Our customers also want access to content that we don't own or don't license," said Foxtel chief executive Peter Tonagh, talking to the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia. "If our customers want to have Netflix, then they'll be able to have Netflix on our box."

Tonagh likened the impending addition of third party streaming services to the way in which Foxtel subscribers can still watch free-to-air channels through their IQ set-top boxes.

"The reason we do that is not because there is a commercial benefit for us, but because it provides a much better experience," said Tonagh. "We intend with our next set-top box to have a much more open platform."

Foxtel's move would make it make it's set-top box similar to that offered by Fetch TV. While Fetch TV set-top boxes are predominantly a way to access Fetch's internet television service, they're also home to Netflix, Stan, Presto, and a number of local catch-up apps.

Foxtel has yet to confirm when we can expect to see the next version of its IQ set-top box.

Earlier this month, Foxtel announced plans to overhaul its online-based Foxtel Play streaming service by the end of the year. The pay TV giant plans to offer cheaper entry prices and more flexible subscription options, with packages starting somewhere between $10 and $15 a month.

Alex Choros

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Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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