Foxtel adds live sports and news to BINGE
Foxtel Group has announced that streaming service BINGE is “officially entering its sports era” with the addition of live and one demand sports, as well as live news channels.
This was one of the announcements made at Thursday afternoon’s Upfront, where the company also revealed more information about its total audience measurement system, as well as its programming highlights for 2025.
RELATED: Foxtel launches long-awaited total audience measurement system
BINGE will launch its sports offering with the back-to-back AFLW Grand Final and WBBL Grand Final on 30 November and 1 December, followed by Men’s Big Bash League and Super Netball across the summer, and the NRL and AFL leagues on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays during the regular season.
BINGE viewers will also be treated to the World Surfing League, the USLPGA, Ladies’ European Tour, and AIG Women’s Open golfing tournaments, all Kayo Minis of the F1, plus Foxtel’s slate of sporting panel shows, including AFL 360, NRL 360, Sunday Night with Matty Johns, Bounce, and The Back Page.
Speaking to Mumbrella, Julian Ogrin, CEO of BINGE and Kayo Sports, explained the thinking behind adding sports to the platform – and whether he was worried this play might cut into the ever-growing Kayo Sports audience, which hit 1.5 million at the end of June.
“Kayo is the unrivalled sports proposition in the country,” Ogrin explained.
“If you think about what you come onto Kayo for, we’ve just finished the winter season, but during the winter season, you’ve got 17 games of NRL and AFL every week. Some are simulcast, some are exclusive to Kayo, but you get 17 games every week. You get the Formula One every week. You’re getting US sports, whether it be NBA, NFL. You know, the list goes on.
“It is that Netflix-of-sport experience and will remain that.”
Ogrin explained that their own research found that BINGE audiences “do have an appetite for more than just new release premium drama,” which he notes is the field on which all the other entertainment streaming services compete on.
“What is the new release? And trying to get the attention of the Australian household audience just around their new release of the month, or new release of the quarter,” Ogrin continued.
“But our customers, we’ve given them access to news channels. So for example, getting up to date on local and global news events, gives them some sort of daily feed or that solves their curiosity around news events.”
BINGE is adding live feeds of Sky News, Sky News UK, CNBC, and Fox Sports News to its existing lineup of channels, as well as a 24/7 dedicated Lifestyle channel including Selling Houses Australia, Great Australian Bake Off, Love It or List It Australia, and more. In addition, BINGE recently added live music channels including MTV Hits, Club MTV, MTV 80’s, CMT, and Nick Music.
But, it’s the sport that seems to have Ogrin the most excited.
“We’ve really focused on promoting Australian sport – this will be the home of women’s sport,” he promises.
Foxtel Group’s landmark AFL rights deal also commences in 2025, with the introduction of Super Saturday Live, Fox Footy, on Kayo Sports and Foxtel, which “will be the only place to watch AFL live for at least the first eight rounds of the season nationally, and the first 15 rounds in Victoria.”
Fox Footy will also broadcast every single match of the home and away season.
In terms of original content, Foxtel will launch How To Make Gravy on December 1, based on the perennial Paul Kelly classic, and follow this with a handful of local originals for 2025.
The Last Anniversary is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty, while Mixtape is based on the popular novel by Jane Sanderson, starring Australian actress Teresa Palmer and British actor Jim Sturgess.
Returning originals include the third season of courtroom drama, The Twelve, starring Sam Neill, and the second season of Aher Keddie’s dramatic comedy series, Strife.
Favourites Selling Houses Australia, The Great Australian Bake Off, and Real Housewives of Sydney will also return.
“2025 is shaping up to be a bumper year of television,” commissioner and executive director of entertainment of Foxtel Alison Hurbert-Burns said.
“We’re proud to bring a diverse and high-quality content line up to our customers.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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Foxtel Group (AKA Murdoch media) is turning BINGE into Foxtel. No?
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No Foxtel are preparing to be sold for the highest amount. Increasing the value of Binge is good business sense
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This sounds like a new product launch but there is no new product. Look forward to how you pace yourself when you lose HBO programming.
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