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Report: Netflix close to 10 million Aussie users.

Over 13 million Australians now use Pay TV / Subscription TV services, according to estimates.

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Netflix is close to topping 10 million Australian users according to a new report.

Roy Morgan Research estimates the streaming giant has 9.8m Australian viewers in 3.9m households (Telsyte recently estimated 3.9m subscribers).

Over 2 million Australians can now view content via Stan, up 39.2% on a year ago, and growing at a faster rate than Netflix over the last year. Stan recently confirmed their 1 millionth active subscriber.

Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, said, “Over 13 million Australians now use Pay TV / Subscription TV services. Growth for the leading SVOD providers has continued over the last year at over 25% for Netflix, Stan, YouTube Premium and Fetch. New entrant Amazon Prime Video grew by nearly 90% over the past year off a small base although the Australian service only fully launched in Australia in June 2018.

“Leading streaming video provider Netflix is fast closing in on 10 million users spread across nearly 3.9 million households. 9.8 million Australians aged 14+ used Netflix in the June 2018 quarter which gives Netflix a market penetration of 48% among Australians aged 14+.

“However, although Netflix clearly is well ahead of its rivals, other SVODs are also growing strongly – and generally at a faster rate than even Netflix.

“Stan, the joint venture between new merger partners the Nine Entertainment Company and Fairfax, grew its user base by nearly 40% over the last year to top 2 million users in the June 2018 quarter.

“The proposed merger between Nine and Fairfax consolidates ownership of Stan and opens up multiple opportunities for cross-promotion of the new company’s various media brands such as the Nine Network channels Nine, Gem and Go!, and leading Fairfax mastheads including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Australian Financial Review.

“In a changing media landscape, highlighted by the recent merger agreement between Nine and Fairfax, the impressive performance of SVOD in recent years shows there are avenues to growth for incumbent media businesses challenged by new entrants into the market.

“To learn more about the consumers who flock to new technological innovations led by early adopters and closely followed by the professional technology mainstream and younger digital natives don’t hesitate to contact Roy Morgan for further information.”

16 Responses

  1. I’m starting to see some variable quality in Netflix Originals, there are quite a few average movies being made that feel very ‘straight to DVD’. That’s good for the movie industry though, these mid budget movies haven’t had a home for while. The Netflix Original Drama series really do hold the bar up though, and their docos have really improved ever since Making A Murderer worked for them. Their 4K is also excellent.

  2. One thing I’d really like to see is Foxtel on Apple TV (ATV4) via an app, where I can view their channels over the internet (streaming) I currently have (legally) DirecTVNow on my ATV4 and have access to (part of my package) channels from the US via their apps. Bravo, E!, Nat Geo, FX, ABC, NBC and the list goes on. If Geoblocking hadn’t occured due to issues of people in the US getting their local channels, I wold still contnue to have US stations Live Streamed, East Coast time. I got off track there, but On Demand TV is key, Foxtel should really get onboard with Apple TV, have an app and more channels in HD to stream. Saved them money on Boxes with issues and upkeep. Cut the Cord already. To those, welcome to Netflix and the like.

  3. Foxtel Now is slowly getting it’s act together but why it took so long for them to see the damage done by Netflix shows a lot of short sighted wishful thinking on their part. Netflix obviously have the advantage because they are now the most recognisable SVOD in the world thanks to their logo being on nearly every remote. Stan cannot afford to be too complacent so it will need to increase it’s content along with the competition.Netflix will be eyeing Disney who as a late arrival have a bit of work to do but plainly have the money to muscle up in the competition game though pricing will be an interest.

  4. Is that Foxtel figure for Foxtel Now? Foxtel + Foxtel from Telstra subscribers are about 3.5 million, which makes me think it’s just Foxtel Now – given the difference in subscriber numbers vs viewers (users) for the other brands, eg 3.9 million Netflix subscribers vs nearly 10 million viewers (users)

      1. I’m well aware of that, hence putting Both figures in my post. The item, as published by Roy Morgan research simply states ‘Foxtel’ – it doesn’t say whether they’re referring to Foxtel Now, Foxtel, or the combination. That is why I asked the question in the first line of my post, with the following sentences put in to support why the question was asked.

      1. Thank you. Curious why such a big difference between subscriber numbers and viewer (user) numbers for the others vs such a small difference between the two for Foxtel.

    3. Foxtel Now, in my view should have more channels streaming with the whole content now available to be on Demand. I dislike the note on Foxtel’s website stating channels were taken off due to more interest in Demand than live streaming….

  5. I may consider Netflix when they get the rights to the AFL,F1,Motorbikes etc so the only thing that Foxtel seems to offer is a good sport coverage?

    1. I doubt that would happen any time soon.

      Foxtel has most of the HBO content and a much bigger movie selection but at a much higher price. The other thing Foxtel traditional has going for it is reliability. Sometimes streams from Netflix are pixilated but Foxtel never is.

      Foxtel is still making a decent profit so they are doing something right and will be around for a while yet.

      1. I find the picture quality of Netflix to be excellent including their UHD offerings but I guess it does depend on your isp etc.
        I would have to say though the picture quality on Foxtel Now is below average. I would have thought a large company like Foxtel would be able to at least provide a decent HD streaming service to compete with Netflix and Stan.

        1. I’ve found the small amount of UHD offered on Netflix to be excellent, as is the HD. I’ve found both the 720p on linear channels and 1080p on the on demand content on Foxtel Now to be excellent too. The SD, depending on device, ranges from poor to excellent. I’ve had no pixelation on either service. I’m surprised Foxtel haven’t rolled out HD to more devices – I think PS4 last year was the most recent. Mind you, a big chunk of the population doesn’t care about SD vs HD, then there are those who can’t get, or can’t afford, the bandwidth or data allowance to get HD if they wanted to.

    2. Foxtel have the rights to AFL until at least 2022
      After that, they will fight to keep it. As the EPL has shown us, professionals and keen gamblers want a provider who can give them a near real time service which is why a lot of people chose to get Optus sport over satelite for the EPL.

      Netflix has publicly stated they are not interested in broadcasting sports.

      This will be a battle between foxtel and Optus, the free you air networks and maybe a couple of outside chances like Twitter or Facebook who already stream sports in some parts of the world. That’s not until 2022 though

    3. That will never happen, they aren’t interested in sports broadcasting, it wouldn’t fit in with their brand anyway and as an SVOD sports would not be live to air. Netflix is $10 to $18 a month (depending on SD/HD and number of devices) which is less than the cost of a single movie, this price would skyrocket if sport rights were purchased.

    4. I quit foxtel got Netflix best thing ever for the price and content can’t be beat and add free and for sport nine coverage of league and 7mate coverage of Aussie rules is more than adequate it’s excellent .foxtel is a dinosaur. And don’t watch FTA tV other than the sport

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