Fetch TV vs Foxtel: Which offers more value?

Littered amongst the pure streaming platforms such as Netflix and Stan are the likes of Fetch TV and Foxtel, which offer a combination of on-demand streaming and traditional TV features such as live news, sports, pay and free-to-air stations and more. Check out Fetch vs Foxtel in this article, and find out which service is best for you.

With the re-imagining of Foxtel Play into the Foxtel Now format, the subscription giant has offered a direct alternative to Fetch TV. The Foxtel Now online service is available without the use of invasive cables and set-top boxes, though a box option is also available.

With similar features and pricing points, it’s important to compare the two and see whether Fetch TV or Foxtel/Foxtel Now is the best fit for you.

Foxtel vs Fetch TV

Both platforms deliver their content in packages. With Fetch TV, you will be left with the basic device to start with (unless you have organised one premium channel pack with your telco), with just 30 rotating monthly movies on offer.

Each channel pack is viewed as an additional feature, but at a low cost of $6/month it allows you the flexibility of selecting a number of channels that work for you right out of the gate at a lower entry cost than both Foxtel and Foxtel Now.

Where Fetch TV and Foxtel stand out from the likes of Netflix and Stan is in their ability to provide access to live content across both free to air and pay TV stations. This, of course, means news and sport.

Live sports on Foxtel

Notably absent from Fetch TV are domestic codes, and this is where Foxtel and Foxtel Now really shine. Foxtel Now’s sports package provides all exclusive Fox Sports content, plus all three beIN Sport channels and ESPN 1 and 2.

In total, you can regularly access over 50 different sports. This includes live-streaming coverage of AFL, NRL, NBA, NFL, Super Rugby, Australian and European football, Supercars, Formula 1™, international cricket and more!

The sports package is a premium package on Foxtel Now and as a result, needs to be added to the Essentials pack. This means that while the sport package itself is $29, that is an additional cost to the $25 that you’ll pay for the starter pack.

If you want to get your sports fix on Foxtel via satellite, you’re looking at $74 a month (though Sports HD is often offered in a discounted bundle). This includes the Foxtel Plus bundle with 56 entertainment channels as part of the base plan.

Live sports on Fetch TV

To start watching sport on Fetch TV you will need to purchase the ‘Vibe’ package as a minimum. The Vibe package contains three dedicated sports channels: ESPN, ESPN 2 and EDGE Sports.

The ESPN channels will provide you with a healthy dose of American sports and some content catered for Australian markets in addition to occasional football fixtures. EDGE Sports provides your action adrenalin quotient with extreme sports, surfing, skating and more.

There are additional add-ons that incur a further price to take Fetch TV’s sports offering to the next level. The beIN Sports package ($19.99/month) which includes all three beIN Sports channels is great for football lovers, showcasing some of the world’s premier leagues including Serie A, live La Liga action, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and some EPL matches. It also includes the WTA Tour and test rugby matches. For the true EPL experience, Optus Sport can be added on for $14.99/month.

Fetch TV world news

On the news front, Fetch TV is arguably better placed than Foxtel. Fetch TV users can purchase the ‘Knowledge’ add on pack for a mere $6/month which includes not only a stack of channels for food and travel enthusiasts, but also a slew of news outlets to keep abreast of all the breaking developments.

These include National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, BBC Earth, BBC World News, BBC Brit, Food Network, Home & Garden, CNBC, Bloomberg, France 24, Aljazeera, EuroNews, Channel NewsAsia, NDTV 24x 7, MSNBC, and CGTN. You can learn more about Fetch TV’s service features with this Fetch TV review.

Foxtel world news

While your standard Foxtel set-top box subscription comes with the Foxtel Plus package – which easily outclasses the offerings of Fetch TV’s optional ‘Knowledge’ – by comparison Foxtel Now provides fewer options.

These are, however, included from the outset, so you won’t need to purchase them. Sky News Live, Sky News UK, Sky News Extra and Fox News are dedicated mainstream news sources with Fox Sports News and Sky News Weather also included as standard.

In terms of news, Foxtel Now is more than serviceable, but for a broader range of perspectives and a global view Fetch TV offers a higher quality product.

Kayo Sports vs Fetch TV

One other very prominent player in the world of streaming live sports is Kayo Sports, the service which already boasts over half a million subscribers less than two years after it launched.

If you’re someone who loves sport of all kinds, Kayo is the perfect way to dive into all of it and explore over 50 different sporting codes, with games streamed live and available on demand, including the ability to watch a game “as live” while it’s still in progress.

Kayo has access to everything from the Fox Sports, ESPN and beIN channels, and that makes it incredible value at $25/month for access to everything – including Aussie codes like AFL and NRL, streamed live in HD with special enhanced features only available on Kayo, including live stats and Split View (where you can watch two or more sports at once!)

What Kayo doesn’t have is access to much of the European sports that Fetch boasts – such as Premier League football.

Here are some of the biggest sports you can enjoy with a Kayo subscription:

Exclusive content and accessibility

Exclusive content is always a key selling point when it comes to SVOD platforms. Aside from the sports exclusivity, Foxtel and Foxtel Now feature some of the biggest drama programs on offer. Foxtel Now, in particular, offers the big guns from the get go.

What shows can I watch on Foxtel?

Included in their entry pack, the Foxtel Plus pack, is the Fox Showcase channel. This will give you access to all the big HBO Dramas including Game of Thrones, Westworld, Big Little Lies, Chernobyl, His Dark Materials, Watchmen, The Undoing and a whole lot more. Users often get access to these big shows just hours after they air in the US, and with the ability to stream them on demand you can binge to get back up to date if need be!

For a full list of channels that you can get under each Foxtel channel pack, check out the table below:

What shows can I watch on Fetch TV?

In general, Fetch TV has a much smaller content base and is found wanting when it comes to genuinely exclusive (and original) content. Foxtel and Foxtel Now also have a large library of movies and TV series available to stream on demand, whereas Fetch TV users will have to pay to purchase or rent certain content.

Where Fetch TV is superior to Foxtel and Foxtel Now is the tie-in SVOD platforms. Fetch TV incorporates both Netflix and Stan in addition to offering support for other smaller streaming platforms in a simple Android TV style layout. Other streaming services like Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and Paramount Plus are also now on Fetch.

In contrast, Foxtel Now will typically push Foxtel content to the user and ignore similar content from third parties, meaning you will need to search for it instead. Foxtel’s satellite service, though, offers the option of bundling Netflix and streaming it directly on the set top box.

How can I watch them?

Both Foxtel and Fetch have their respective set top boxes. We’ll elaborate the differences between the two below.

Fetch TV set top box

Fetch TV requires a set-top box and a fast broadband internet connection. Three set-tops are available – the Fetch TV Mini, Fetch TV Mini 4K, and the Fetch TV Mighty. Unless organised with a telco – you can bundle it in to some broadband services – a set-top box will need to be purchased.

The Mini player costs $169 with a $1 activation fee (allowing immediate access to 30 movies which rotate throughout the month), the Mini 4K costs $199 and is currently only available through selected retailers, while the Mighty will set you back $449. Fetch TV can also be watched via the Fetch TV app.

Foxtel set top box

Standard Foxtel requires the installation of a satellite dish if one isn’t already at your home, subscribing to the service and installing a set-top box, and although you won’t need an internet connection to run the service, you’ll need one for the streaming features of the iQ4 set top box.

Prices vary on both the installation and box dependent on whether you buy through Foxtel From Telstra or go directly through Foxtel. The launch of the Foxtel iQ5 also marks the first time that users won’t need satellite installation to start watching as the latest box is designed to have a plug and play function.

An alternative to the traditional set-top box setup is to use the Foxtel Go app, which comes for free as soon as you’re subscribed to any Foxtel TV package. Foxtel Go’s strength lies in its viewing versatility. There are several ways to access the app including mobile devices, web browsers, smart TVs and more.

For the complete list of Foxtel Go devices, check out the table below:

Price comparison: Foxtel vs Foxtel Now vs Fetch

When subscribing for a service, pricing is a major factor to consider and there’s a great deal of difference between Foxtel and Fetch TV.

Fetch TV pricing

If you don’t bundle Fetch TV with an internet provider things can get pretty costly early on. With a Fetch device required you’re looking at an initial outlay of $169, $199 or $449. There is a $1 activation fee and from there, various Premium Packages can be purchased for $6/month.

More specialised packages vary from $0 (Hillsong + ACC are offered free) to $19.99 (beIN Sports) with the UFC also offered at a varying pay per view rate. When bundled with a provider, however, it is possible to receive the Mini or Mighty set-top box, activation and one premium package built into the contract for a low monthly price, providing $455 of value up front.

One of your options for getting Fetch TV is via iPrimus. You can add Fetch from only $10 per month and that already includes one channel pack for free. Broadband plans from iPrimus starts at only $70 per month, which means you’ll spend $80 each month for both unlimited internet and Fetch TV.

Foxtel pricing

The cost of the box is often waived when you take up a new Foxtel service, but you’ll often need to stay subscribed for at least 12 months in order to avail of discounted plan fees. For flexibility, Foxtel has recently started offering its TV packages on a month-to-month setup. The different packages selected will also affect the overall content you can receive and the price you will pay.

Foxtel Now pricing

Foxtel Now waives the lock-in contract, can be used without the need for the Foxtel Now box (though one of these will cost you $99) and the cost is largely dependent on the packages you utilise, but if you were to sign up and obtain all the packs at once you would be looking at an ongoing cost of $104/month, or a base cost of $25 for the entry-level “Essentials” pack. There are no set up costs involved.

Last audited 11 November 2024

Features comparison: Fetch TV vs Foxtel

Aside from their pricing, both TV services are also differentiated by their respective features and benefits. To help you make an informed decision, here’s the features comparison between Fetch TV and Foxtel.

Fetch TV features

In terms of features, these vary from the Mighty to the Mini devices. The Mighty allows you to pause and rewind live TV in an infinite time frame, whereas the Mini can pause and rewind live TV within a 15 minute time period. 

A massive benefit of the Mighty player is the ability to record up to six channels at once from three different networks or streaming pay TV. The Mighty is also capable of Ultra HD streaming – which is a big win, especially for Netflix users – whilst the Mini is capable of providing Full HD.

Foxtel features

With Foxtel’s iQ4 set-top box, you get a huge amount of recording storage space, the ability to pause and rewind live TV and a straightforward layout. You can read more about the service’s featuring with this comprehensive Foxtel review.

Which one is best for you — Foxtel or Fetch TV?

All three options have their benefits. If your primary concern is cost effectiveness, then Fetch TV is the way to go. With easy usability, a good mix of content and a low introductory price you can’t really go wrong.

If you’re after premium content and you love your sports, however, then you can’t go past Foxtel and Foxtel Now. With Foxtel Now offering the bulk of the same content as its cable-based counterpart and with the ability to watch on the go at a cheaper rate, it’s definitely the way to go in the Foxtel realm.

Other streaming services with free trials

There are also other streaming services that offer value in terms of content and pricing. We’ve listed the most popular ones in Australia, as well those that offer free trials for new customers. Check them out below and start streaming TV shows for free

Compare streaming TV services: Comparison guide

If you want to explore more and find amazing streaming services available in Australia, here are some helpful comparison guides that you can use as references: