Now streaming in 2024: Australia's major streaming services, pricing & content

Streaming services have provided hours upon hours of entertainment for Aussie families, with households able to utilise their broadband to access a multitude of movies and series at our fingertips like never before. 

With more and more players entering the market, it can be tricky to pin down exactly which streaming services you want to subscribe to, and what each different streaming service offers. 

While subscribing to a number of different services can broaden the availability of content, it can also stack up unnecessary costs. Mozo found that Australians were spending $390 million on unused streaming services.

To help ease that cost we’ve put together this handy guide to break down the differences between each service, their pricing and the content they offer so that you can decide which of the major players may suit your streaming needs.

A major factor in which services a household subscribes to is cost. We’ve collected the major streaming services below so that you can compare the cost of a one-month subscription to the most basic level of coverage. 

It is worth noting that some services offer discounts for paying 12 months up front, rather than opting for the monthly billing cycle, while others may have special offers throughout the year. 

A number of streaming providers also offer more than one option for subscribers, which may include higher definition video and the ability to run concurrent streams. As such, the prices below reflect the entry-level subscription to these services.

(*)Note that the new basic tier for Netflix includes advertisements.

There are also other minor streaming services to consider, if you're a fan of any particular niche. These include Shudder  (horror content), BritBox  (UK specific content), HayU (reality television), Funimation (anime), Kayo (sports), and more. 

Whether you’re looking for old classics to rewatch or a library of original content, there’s plenty of options within Australia’s streaming market.

It’s always a good idea to take advantage of any free trial period the streaming services offer to test their library of content before committing to a subscription. Thankfully for us, the streamers are on board with that thinking, and each offers a free trial period between 7-30 days. You can also make use of our guide to keeping streaming costs down.

Deciding which streaming service has the right content for you can be a little tricky, so we’ve broken down each service below to try and simplify things.

Amazon Prime Video is the streaming offering from global retail giant Amazon.

Plans & inclusions:

With only one subscription tier, the low monthly price of $9.99 becomes even lower if you opt for a 12-month subscription, which will set you back at just $79.

To make the deal even sweeter, a subscription to Amazon Prime Video also includes:

• A subscription to Prime Music (the company’s music streaming service), 
• Access to the company’s Prime Day retail deals,
• Free standard international delivery from Amazon for eligible orders over $49
• Free two-day domestic shipping from Amazon on eligible items
• Prime Reading
• Prime Gaming

What to watch on Amazon Prime:

• What’s new on Amazon Prime Video this month

Some of the streaming services’ most successful original content includes: 

• The Rings of Power
• The Boys
• Luxe Listings Sydney
• The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
• A League of Their Own

Amazon Prime Video features a number of original series and films alongside an expansive catalogue of licensed content. Licensed content on the service includes the Fast and Furious films, The Office and Paw Patrol. 

Here's what’s new on Amazon Prime Video this month.

• Amazon Prime: Sign up or try for free

Netflix is one of the most recognisable streamers available, and the company continues to see strong popularity despite a number of competitors.

Plans & inclusions:

The company only offers monthly subscription options but features 3 different tiers that comprise of different video qualities and simultaneous streams. 

What to watch on Netflix:

• What’s new on Netflix Australia this month

Netflix’s original content tends to do the best on the service, with subscribers flocking to the latest big-budget offerings. Some of the most successful original content on Netflix includes: 

• Squid Game 
  
• The Witcher
  
• You
  
• Stranger Things 
  
• Bridgerton
  
• Emily in Paris
• Wednesday

Licensed content on Netflix updates regularly but currently includes Schitt's Creek, Community, Gilmore Girls, Friends, and Seinfeld.

Netflix invests heavily in its programming, producing original films, series and games (think mobile-quality) for its service while licensing some of the biggest properties in media.

Here’s what’s new on Netflix Australia this month.

• Disney+: Sign up or try for free

Disney fans, both young and old can find what they’re looking for with Disney+ , the streaming service from the media giant.

Plans & inclusions:

Here are the current Disney+ subscription options available in Australia:

What to watch on Disney+:

• What’s new on Disney+ this month

Content on the service includes past and future Disney films, the Marvel catalogue, the Star Wars franchise, Pixar classics and offerings from National Geographic, Fox and more.

There’s also entertainment for adults, including favourite TV shows like Lost, Criminal Minds, New Girl, The Dropout, and movies like Juno, 10 Things I Hate About You, Pretty Woman, The Sixth Sense, and many more.

The company has also invested heavily in original, exclusive content, with some examples being:

• The Mandalorian
• She Hulk
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
• The D'Amelio Show
• Wandavision

Disney+ has also seen a number of the company’s major releases come to the service at the same time as cinemas, for an extra cost. 

Here’s what’s new on Disney+ this month.

• Disney+: Sign up or try for free

Another Australian-owned entry to the streaming market, Binge comes from parent company Foxtel and brings with it a large library of licensed content.

Plans & inclusions:

• Binge: Sign up or try for free

What to watch on Binge:

• What’s new on Binge this month

A big selling point for the service is the fact it has the exclusive Australian rights to stream the catalogue of HBO, meaning Binge is the only place in the country where you'll find series such as:

The service features a big library of content from a range of different networks, with offerings such as Modern Family, the Harry Potter series, Below Deck, Crazy Rich Asians, The Walking Dead and Taskmaster on the service. 

• Game of Thrones
  
• The Sopranos
  
• The Wire 
  
• Barry
• White Lotus

Here’s what’s new on Binge this month.

Stan is Australian-owned, with Nine Digital, the parent company of the service that offers both original content and licensed programming. Like Netflix, Stan too only offers monthly payment options for three different tiers of subscriptions.

Plans & inclusions:

What to watch on Stan:

• What’s new on Stan Australia this month

Stan features plenty of original Australian content including: 

• Bump
• The Tourist 
  
• RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under
  
• Wolf Creek (series)
  
• True History of the Kelly Gang

Their licensed content includes some high-profile offerings such as Yellowstone, Better Call Saul, Doctor Who, Parks and Recreation, and more.

The company also offers a $10 per month add-on called Stan Sport, which allows access to sporting events, including the UEFA Champions League, ATP Cup and Premiership Rugby.

Here’s what’s new on Stan Australia this month.

Tech giant Apple has its own offering in the streaming market, AppleTV+ , with the company investing heavily to bring a number of big-name stars to its original content.

Plans & inclusions:

The streaming service has just a single subscription tier with a $9.99 monthly price tag, or users can opt to bundle it as a part of their Apple One service.

What to watch on Apple TV+:

This service differs from most of the other popular players due to the fact that licensed content is extremely sparse, with Apple instead choosing to spend its budget almost exclusively on original content. 

While this means you won’t be able to rewatch old favourites, Apple TV+ does feature plenty of original content with some of the world’s biggest stars.

The service has managed to pick up some major awards for its offerings, too, with comedy series Ted Lasso taking home 7 Emmys from 20 nominations at last year’s ceremony.

Some of the highest-profile offerings from Apple TV+ include: 

• Morning Wars
  
• Ted Lasso
  
• Mythic Quest
  
• Severance
• Slow Horses  
  

While the lack of any licensed content does mean Apple TV+ has a smaller library than most other streamers, the company continues to grow its catalogue of original content to compete in the market.

• Apple TV+: Sign up or try for free

The newest player in Australia’s streaming landscape is Paramount+ and the service has a number of offerings to try and entice subscribers.

Plans & inclusions:

Paramount+ has one subscription tier that costs $9.99 per month, or customers can opt for a 12-month subscription at $89.99.

What to watch on Paramount+:

Paramount+ brings a large catalogue to its subscribers, including popular series such as Dexter, Twin Peaks, Ray Donovan and Key and Peele and more.

The service also features a number of exclusive films, series and continuations, including: 

• Halo
• Yellowjackets
• Star Trek: Prodigy
• 1883
• Queen of the Universe

Paramount+ also offers access to the A-League, Socceroos and Matildas matches alongside world news from CBSN. Currently, there is no extra cost for these features.

Here’s what’s new on Paramount+ this month.

Streaming can chew at your bandwidth, so ensuring you have the right broadband plan for your streaming needs is an important first step.

The number of devices connected in your home, as well as the quality of video you’re planning to stream can have a big impact on your broadband needs, and as such we recommend heading over to our guide on the NBN speed tiers and what each can handle.

Head over to our broadband hub to start searching for your next broadband plan, or check out our list of best NBN plans for 2023.