A brand new streaming service boasting shows like Game of Thrones and Big Little Lies has launched in Australia.
After much speculation, the launch of BINGE was announced at the weekend, and will grant Aussie viewers cheap access to some of the world’s most popular shows – including those made by production powerhouse HBO – for $10 a month.
BINGE, which was manufactured by the same team behind Kayo Sports, is now available to customers at binge.com.au, where you can sign up for a two week free trial.
It launches with 10,000 hours of TV shows and movies, sourced from its parent company Foxtel’s content deals with big Hollywood studios such as Warner Media, NBC Universal, FX, BBC and Sony.
Binge is Australia’s new streaming service offering the best drama, entertainment and movies from the world’s best creators. New to Binge? Get your two week free trial , sign up at binge.com.au
The big hitters are award-winning and much buzzed about series’ including: Succession, The Outsider, Mrs America, Chernobyl, Game of Thrones, Big Little Lies, Westworld, Barry, Veep, The Sopranos, The Walking Dead, Mrs America, Sex and the City, Seinfeld, Modern Family, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Grand Designs UK and David Attenborough documentaries.
Their deal with WarnerMedia means BINGE will also get access to original scripted content from the new American streaming service, HBO Max (not launching in Australia), which includes the Friends reunion and reboot of Gossip Girl.
The service, which has been two years in the making, will kick off with 800 movies in its library, with new content added daily.
Notable films include the Fast & Furious, Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible and DC Universe collections, and classics from Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino.
Customers will be able to choose from three pricing tiers starting at $10 per month (1 stream SD), $14 per month (2 streams HD) and $18 per month (4 streams HD).
BINGE CEO Julian Ogrin said he was confident the enticing price point – paired with the brand’s unique user experiences and range of content – would help the platform compete in a crowded market.
“The price point and expectation of the products and the way they’re packaged has largely been set in the market, and we wanted to make sure we were coming in with such a great offering and such a great new brand experience,” Mr Ogrin told news.com.au.
“Being able to match that already set price market is obviously us putting our best foot forward.
“What makes us distinct, we have an amazing content portfolio. We’re really excited about the depth across all categories and genres. The other is product experience, we’ll always be humble on that but we’re very confident around what the product experience does. The way I’m able to navigate myself around it. It’s reliable.
“Then the third piece is the brand. The name BINGE speaks for itself, you can see through the logo, the energy and the warmth. That’s what we’re all about and what the brand represents. This whole notion of bingeing great content.
Mr Ogrin, who predicted the $14 package would be the most popular among customers, said there were four million Australians who regularly indulge in streaming, a figure he says is predicted to double over the next three years, making now the perfect time to launch BINGE.
“Bingeing is already established. It’s become the norm,” he said.
“We want to give people permission to escape the daily grind, lose themselves and indulge with good old fashioned entertainment.
“And when we’re coming in, we have an established market and growth. It is a huge opportunity.”
While premium content is one of BINGE’s biggest draw cards, the platform also boasts unique features including a ‘Surprise Me!’ function, which gives viewers a similar experience to that of live TV viewing.
BINGE’s director of content and product Brian Lenz said, “It’s our start in trying to bring channel surfing into the streaming world.
“A lot of what we explored in research groups and what we’ve lost in streaming is actually starting to watch something when you haven’t made a choice yet.
“(It’s for) that time when you just want to be pulled into something.”
BINGE can be accessed by Android TV, Apple TV, Telstra TV and Chromecast.
BINGE launches in Australia on Monday May 25
