Foxtel announces news streaming service, Flash.
Combined news streaming platform will launch in October.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under Subscription
The Foxtel Group today announced it will launch Flash, a dedicated live news streaming service featuring more than 20 local and global live news sources.
To be launched in October, it is expected to include CNN, BBC, CNBC, Fox News, Al Jazeera and SKY News. Discussions are continuing on whether ABC will be part of the platform.
Kate de Brito is Executive Director. She was previously editor-in-chief of news.com.au, having worked as a news, feature and opinion writer for more than 20 years across digital, newspapers and magazines.
Foxtel Group CEO, Patrick Delany, said: “We are excited to lock in our plans to launch Flash next month, the third streaming service we will have launched in as many years.
“These new streaming products are driving rapid growth in subscribers and revenue as we diversify our portfolio of entertainment brands and reinvent the Foxtel Group as Australia’s most dynamic streaming company.
“The number of Australian households with a streaming service is forecast to grow by almost 20% in the next four years, reaching 85% of all households, with each household expected to have between three and four SVOD subscriptions.
“Flash will ride this wave, offering news-hungry Australians a new way to stay informed about politics, business and local and international events. We believe the product will tap into a growing demand for diverse, trusted news sources by making the best range of Australian and international 24-7 television news sources even more accessible.”
He added: “Flash won’t be what the market expects. It will be more than simply aggregating live channels. Our experience and technology platform gives us the ability to draw on successful Kayo features and innovations to provide an outstanding news experience for our subscribers.”
Further details, including pricing, are yet to be confirmed.
7 Responses
None of this is original content, so the incremental costs of this “service” must be minimal. I can’t see anyone paying more than a few $ a month for it.
If what you’re after is news from o/s, a VPN might be a better investment.
Is there really that much interest in many of these news services? I get most of them from other streaming services, and the others i wouldn’t watch.
Are you kidding me? Seriously, can they not just create one platform for their content? So glad you pointed out that Binge had live Showcase, otherwise I’d be forking out $20+ for Foxtel Now/Go/WhateverItsCalled $12 a month for Binge and $25 for Kayo. Just such an incoherent strategy.
Can’t really win can they as there is one platform for it all Foxtel Now streaming, people complained they wanted to choose what they needed eg Sport as a lone product so they’ve broken things up and now people want it added back together!
On the face of it it does seem that Foxtel are continuing their PayTV business plan much the same as they always have except instead of having separate subscriber channels on one single set top box why not have separate streaming channels instead and make it look like it provides more value for money. Only Foxtel could have the corporate ego to be convinced that they were doing something that looks innovative, especially a News channel which features news services already available in some form elsewhere. With the right advertising and news events happening maybe Foxtel might make a success of ‘Flash’ but I’m not sure about the logo or the name.
I think the long-term plan is to make a bundle of the three streaming services of Kayo, Binge, and Flash (much like Disney has done in the US) that are “bang for your buck” and emphasise that it has everything you need – sports, entertainment and news.
If the price is right and they keep the quality content going, then I think Foxtel can pull this streaming transition off.
You may be right but past history suggests that Foxtel is an old Dog who doesn’t like to be taught any new tricks and it’s been a slow transition for them entering the streaming market, a market they don’t really need having invested so much into satellite Pay TV. We will have to wait and see but Foxtel are limiting themselves being based solely in Australia where their bigger streaming competition is global. Having a ‘new’ Foxtel service with all their services bundled would still be much the same as Foxtel Now /Go is right now except perhaps it will be on their new iQ5 and hopefully streaming in HD or maybe even 4K.