Another competitor wants to be part of the streaming television market when Netflix officially enters Australia in March 2015. Foxtel and Seven West Media have collaboratively announced the Presto Entertainment service, an equally-owned venture between the companies which will offer television programs for on demand streaming.
Foxtel’s Presto service currently only offers movies. In a press release, Seven West Media and Foxtel have said the separate Presto Entertainment service will offer a library of local and international on demand television content when launched early next year.
Foxtel are yet to announce pricing for Presto Entertainment, with Presto Movies currently costing $9.99 per month. When launched, customers will be able to subscribe to the services individually or bundled together.
Rival service Quickflix offers both movies and TV shows for only $9.99 a month, although the Presto Movie service does feature many new-release films its rivals currently do not provide, or provide at extra charge.
Presto Entertainment will also be in competition with Stan, the Fairfax Media and Nine Entertainment Co joint venture also set to launch in 2015. As Fairfax have noted, the Ten Network may also be prepping a streaming service as well.
What remains unclear is which TV shows the Seven Network will bring to Presto Entertainment. According to Mumbrella, some HBO content will be added to the Presto library, and both locally commissioned and internationally acquired programs will feature. Official programming will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein has said, “TV is the final piece in Presto’s entertainment puzzle and today’s new positions us well to take it to the next level by offering the best in local and international TV to new and future subscribers.”
Seven West Media CEO Tim Warner has added, “Our growing content library underlines Seven’s future as a content company delivering its programming to our audiences across a range of devices.”
Presto Entertainment will be available through Google’s Chromecast, selected Android tablets, iPads, Macs and PCs.
