Speculation grows that Foxtel will release competitor to Apple TV and Telstra TV

FOXTEL is rumoured to be plotting its next big move to take on Apple and Telstra in the increasingly hostile streaming market.

FOXTEL is reportedly looking to double down on its efforts to strengthen its position in the increasingly crowded video streaming market in Australia.

In a bid to compete with a growing number of competitors led by Netflix, it’s believed Foxtel is planning to launch an Apple TV-style streaming device.

Speculation of the plan was contained in a report by the Australian Financial Review this morning but has not been officially confirmed by Foxtel or anyone at the company.

The speculation of the new device rests largely on the fact that Foxtel’s current online streaming service, Foxtel Play, does not appear on Telstra TV.

Telstra TV is a device that connects to televisions and provides access to a number of streaming services and catch-up services. Netflix, Stan and Presto are available on Telstra TV, as are catch-up services SBS on Demand, ABC iView, Plus 7, 9JumpIn and Ten Play.

The home entertainment device enables all major streaming services to be on the same TV platform, eliminating the need to keep track of different streaming subscriptions and apps.

Telstra is a 50 per cent stakeholder of Foxtel, however Foxtel Go is suspiciously absent from Telstra TV, making it possible the service could feature on Foxtel’s own competing platform.

Such a device — the likes of which were made popular by Apple TV — are seen as an added way to capitalise on a growing streaming market and would consolidate the company’s streaming service, Presto, which it part owns with Seven West Media.

Foxtel chief executive Richard Freudenstein refused to confirm any plans of a Foxtel TV device but told AFR that the company wants to increase its distribution platforms.

“We are going to make sure that we maximise all of our distribution platforms and it’s really important we have a great user experience on them,” he said.

Mr Freudenstein declined to comment for this story but a Foxtel spokesman told news.com.au that the company does not “have any news with regards to different ways to view Foxtel, but do have an ongoing strategy to explore all options to deliver our services using the best technologies available.”

Foxtel is the country’s most profitable media company but has faced fresh challenges since the launch of Netflix in Australia last year.

“Netflix obviously have had a successful launch in this country but I think the gloss has started to come off a bit and their subscriber growth has slowed,” Mr Freudenstein said.

Despite the increasingly fragmented market, Foxtel’s latest quarterly report showed an increase in the number of Foxtel subscribers, however the company has changed its reporting method to include Presto subscribers in the data.

“Our subscriber growth has been very strong, Netflix being in the market has blown that slightly and some people have delayed their decision to buy Foxtel but a good number of customers have also taken Netflix on top of Foxtel,” Mr Freudenstein said.

Foxtel is 50 per cent owned by News Corp Australia, the publisher of news.com.au.