Game of Thrones for $15 per month as Foxtel kills Presto

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 04 October 2016

Foxtel might finally be able to stop Australians from pirating Game of Thrones. Aussies will able to watch the next season of George R.R. Martin's harrowing regicide-fest for as little as $15 per month, thanks to the revamped Foxtel Play streaming service.

The pay TV giant today confirmed that it will kill off Presto early next year to make way for a new version of Foxtel Play, which will offer more flexible subscription packages. The new Foxtel Play will launch in December, to give existing subscribers time to move over.

"Foxtel Play will be a simpler, cheaper and more flexible IP delivered product, which will create much better value for Australian consumers," Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh. "It is the logical step for us to take in the evolution of Foxtel’s service. The new offering will mirror the successful launch of HBO Now in the US and Now TV by Sky in the UK."

"I am sure that existing and potential customers will be delighted at the flexibility that the new Foxtel Play will offer. For example, Foxtel is the Home of HBO and Showcase will be included in both the Drama and Entertainment tiers, which means that shows like Game of Thrones will now be available for $15 per month."

Existing Presto customers will be invited to transition to new Foxtel Play packages from December this year. Foxtel will then switch off Presto on January 31, 2017.

The new Foxtel Play will have five different entry level tiers. Drama and Entertainment at $15 per month, or $25 per month for both. At $10 per month, there will be an option for Lifestyle, one for Documentary, and one for Kids. In addition, customers will be able to add Sports for an extra $25 per month, and Movies for an extra $20 per month.

Subscribers will have access to all linear channels in the tier, as well as on-demand and catch-up content.

At present, current Foxtel Play subscription options almost mirror Foxtel’s traditional cable offering. Customers take up a basic $25 per month package, and then bolt on extras such as the premium entertainment pack. If a customer wants to watch Game of Thrones through Foxtel Play, they’re looking at a minimum of $45 per month.

Hefty Foxtel pricing his often been attributed as a leading cause of rampant Game of Thrones piracy locally. According to TorrentFreak, Australians were responsible for the lion's share of the show's illegal downloads this year. In the first 12 hours of season's six availability, Australians accounted for 12.5% of torrent traffic.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

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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