Free to Air Streaming Apps
Australians can choose from a variety of Free to Air streaming apps, use this comparison table to find the best match for you
5 plans compared
Plus7
No lock-in contract
- Watch full episodes of shows from Seven, 7mate, 7TWO, 7flix, & racing.com
- Enjoy it live and free online or on mobile
Go to site$0/mth
9Now
No lock-in contract
- Watch shows from Channel Nine, 9Gem, 9Go! & 9Life
- Enjoy live streaming, catch-up, and on demand content
Go to site$0/mth
Tenplay
No lock-in contract
- Watch shows from Channel TEN, 10 Peach & 10 Bold
- Live streaming, watch sports as they happen
Go to site$0/mth
iView
No lock-in contract
- Catch up with your favourite ABC shows for free
- High-speed streaming and ad-free
Go to site$0/mth
On Demand
No lock-in contract
- Watch full episodes of your favourite SBS shows online
- Over 600 movie titles
Go to site$0/mth
Show 45 more plans from other services
Basic Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Stream in HD on a single device
- 25,000+ hours of the world's best shows & movies
7-day free trial
Go to site$10/mth
Min Cost - $10 per month
Free
No lock-in contract
- game previews
- NFL network
regular season and playoffs highlights
$0/mth
F1 TV Annually
12 month contract
- Watch exclusive documentaries
- See 650+ historic races from the F1 archives
$34.99/yr
Min Cost - $34.99
F1 TV Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Watch exclusive documentaries
- See 650+ historic races from the F1 archives
$4.49/mth
Min Cost - $4.49
Basic with Ads Yearly
12 month contract
- Exclusive TV & sports including A-League
- Stream in full HD on one device
7-day free trial
Go to site$61.99/yr
Min Cost - $61.99 over 1 year (works out as $5.17/mth)
Basic Annual
12 month contract
- Stream in HD on a single device
- 25,000+ hours of the world's best shows & movies
Go to site$79/yr
Min Cost - $79 over 1 year (works out $6.58/mth)
Monthly Subscription
No lock-in contract
- 1000+ award-winning docos online
- New titles added every week
14-day free trial
Go to site$6.99/mth
$6.99/month after 14-day free trial
Monthly Subscription
No lock-in contract
- Hayu app: download shows
- 6,500+ episodes of reality TV
Free trial
Go to site$7.99/mth
Try for free - subscription required, 7 days free, auto-renews to $7.99AUD/month after unless cancelled
Basic with Ads Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Exclusive TV & sports including A-League
- Stream in full HD on one device
7-day free trial
Go to site$7.99/mth
Min Cost - $7.99 over 1 month
Standard Yearly
12 month contract
- Exclusive TV & sports including A-League
- Stream in HD on up to two devices
7-day free trial
Go to site$97.99/yr
Min Cost - $97.99 over 1 year (works out as $8.17/mth)
Game Pass Season
12 month contract
- Watch all 270+ games, including all playoffs games & Super Bowl LVI live
- Get access to huge library of NFL Films on demand, including Hard Knocks, A Football Life & Total Access
$99/yr
Min Cost - $99
Monthly Subscription
No lock-in contract
- Titles available in 4K
- Use 3 screens at the same time
30-day free trial
Go to site$9.99/mth
$9.99/month after 30 days free trial
Monthly Subscription
No lock-in contract
- New docos added weekly
- Stream in HD, ad-free
14-day free trial
Go to site$9.99/mth
Min Cost - $9.99/month
Standard with Ads
No lock-in contract
- Stream in full HD & up to 5.1 audio
- 2 concurrent streams
Go to site$9.99/mth
Min Cost - $9,99 over 1 month
Premium Yearly
12 month contract
- Exclusive TV & sports including A-League
- 4K UHD, HDR10, and Dolby Vision
7-day free trial
Go to site$124.99/yr
Min Cost - $124.99 over 1 year (works out as $10.42/mth)
Yearly
12 month contract
- Stream on up to 4 devices
- Watch hundreds of shows and movies ad-free
7-day free trial
Go to site$139.99/yr
Min Cost - $139.99 over 1 year (works out as $11.67/mth)
Standard Annual
12 month contract
- Ad-free on demand
- Stream in HD or 4K on up to two devices
Go to site$149/yr
Min Cost - $149 over 1 year (works out $12.42/mth)
Connect Annual
12 month contract
- Watch major European sports
- Four beIN channels
7 Day Free Trial
Save up to $30*
Go to site$149.99/yr
Min Cost - AU$149.99/year after 7 day free trial
Standard Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Exclusive TV & sports including A-League
- Stream in HD on up to two devices
7-day free trial
Go to site$12.99/mth
Min Cost - $12.99 over 1 month
Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Stream on up to 4 devices
- Watch hundreds of shows and movies ad-free
7-day free trial
Go to site$13.99/mth
Min Cost - $13.99/mth onwards after free trial
Premium Annual
12 month contract
- Ad-free on demand
- Stream in HD or 4K on up to four devices
Go to site$179/yr
Min Cost - $179 over 1 year (works out $14.92/mth)
Standard Yearly
12 month contract
- Stream in full HD & up to 5.1 audio
- Downloads on up to 10 devices
12 months for the price of 10 on annual subscription
Go to site$179.99/yr
Min Cost - $179.99 over 1 year (works out as $14.99/mth)
Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Watch on multiple devices with the DAZN app
- Exclusive boxing
Go to site$14.99/mth
Min Cost - $14.99 over 1 month
Connect Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Watch major European sports
- Four beIN channels
7-Day Free Trial
Go to site$14.99/mth
Min Cost - AU$14.99/month after 7 day free trial
Monthly
No lock-in contract
- 4K HDR included
- Up to 6 simultaneous streams
7-Day Free Trial
Only one offer can be redeemed per Family Sharing group
Go to site$15.99/mth
Plan automatically renews until cancelled. Terms apply.
Min Cost - $15.99 over 1 month
Standard Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Stream in full HD & up to 5.1 audio
- Downloads on up to 10 devices
Go to site$17.99/mth
Min Cost - $17.99 over 1 month
Premium Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Exclusive TV & sports including A-League
- 4K UHD, HDR10, and Dolby Vision
7-day free trial
Go to site$17.99/mth
Min Cost - $17.99 over 1 month
Standard Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Ad-free on demand
- Stream in HD or 4K on up to two devices
7-day free trial
Go to site$19/mth
Min Cost - $19 per month
Premium Yearly
12 month contract
- Up to 4K UHD & HDR video
- Dolby Atmos audio
12 months for the price of 10 on annual subscription
Go to site$249.99/yr
Min Cost - $249.99 over 1 year (works out as $20.84/mth)
Premium Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Ad-free on demand
- Stream in HD or 4K on up to four devices
7-day free trial
Go to site$22/mth
Min Cost - $22 per month
Monthly Subscription
No lock-in contract
- 1 Month Free Trial
- Access to YouTube Premium original shows
$22.99/mth
Min Cost - $22.99 over 1 month
Ultimate Pack
Contract varies
- Enjoy Netflix, Disney+, Stan & and more apps on the big screen
- Get the Fetch Mighty, Mini or Mini 4K from retailers or partner ISP's
Go to site$24.99/mth
Min Cost - Channel pack cost only. Actual cost of the product vary between ISP partners and retails.
Premium Monthly
No lock-in contract
- Up to 4K UHD & HDR video
- Dolby Atmos audio
Go to site$24.99/mth
Min Cost - $24.99 over 1 month
Premium
No lock-in contract
- 1 to 4 devices
- Stream in 4K
$25.99/mth
Min Cost - $25.99 over 1 month
Standard
No lock-in contract
- SD or HD, stream on 1 device
- Watch live Ashes, BBL, NBA + more
7-day free trial
Go to site$29.99/mth
$29.99/month after 7-day FREE Trial, no lock-in contracts.
Basic + Stan Sport
No lock-in contract
- Premier League, Emirates FA Cup, J.League and NWSL live & on demand via Stan Sport
- Unlimited TV shows & movies
Go to site$32/mth
$12 Stan Basic + $20 for Stan Sport
Min Cost - $32 over 1 month
Starter
No lock-in contract
- Award winning Foxtel Originals, best drama, Lifestyle favourites & more
- Login on 5 devices and watch 2 at the same time
10-Day FREE Trial
Go to site$35/mth
Min Cost - $35 over 1 month
Main Event
No lock-in contract
- Pay for events through Kayo Sports
- Full access to all of Kayo for duration of event
Go to sitestarts at$40/mth
cost per event, duration depends
Min Cost - Boxing and UFC from $50 per event
Premium
No lock-in contract
- Available in 4K, stream on 2 devices
- Watch live Ashes, BBL, NBA + more
7-day free trial
Go to site$45.99/mth
$45.99/month after 7-day FREE trial, no lock-in contracts.
Ultimate
No lock-in contract
- Award winning Foxtel Originals, best drama, Lifestyle favourites & more
- Over 50 sports live, dedicated 24/7 sports channels
10-Day FREE Trial
Go to site$65/mth
Min Cost - $104 over 1 month
Sport
12 month contract
- Foxtel Plus: 50+ channels of drama, entertainment, lifestyle, kids, docos, reality & more
- Sport: over 50 sports live plus select sports in 4K Ultra HD
Deal: Save $37.80/mth for 12 months
Max Basic With Ads plan included
No set-up costs
Offer ends: 22 Dec 2025
Go to site$70.20/mth
For the first 12 months; $108/mth thereafter
Min Cost - $842.40 on a 12 month direct debit plan. New customers only.
Foxtel Plus
No lock-in contract
- Foxtel Plus: 50+ channels of drama, entertainment, lifestyle, kids, docos, reality & more
- Multiscreen: watch on another screen with the smart TV app or casting
Max Basic With Ads plan included
Go to site$78/mth
Min Cost - Min cost $936.00 on a 12 month direct debit plan with iQ5. New customers only.
Platinum Plus
12 month contract
- Foxtel Plus: 50+ channels of drama, entertainment, lifestyle, kids, docos, reality & more
- Sport: over 50 sports live plus select sports in 4K Ultra HD
Deal: Save $52.5/mth for 12 months
Max Basic With Ads plan included
No set-up costs
Go to site$97.50/mth
For the first 12 months; $150/mth thereafter
Min Cost - Min cost $1170.00 on a 12 month direct debit plan with iQ5. New customers only.
Weekly
No lock-in contract
- Super Bowl LVIII
- NFL Network and RedZone
all regular and post season games
$28.99/wk
Season Pro
No lock-in contract
- Super Bowl LVIII
- NFL Network and RedZone
all regular and post season games
$0,99 today$279.99/mth
starting 1 August
CompareTV Free Streaming TV Guide App
Find all the shows and movies you can’t wait to watch! Our Free App helps you find out which streaming services offer your show or movie in Australia and also provides recommendations for similar films of series.
Last audited 31st of Aug 2023
The evolution of free-to-air television in Australia - Your Ultimate Guide
Channel Seven, Channel Nine, Channel Ten, ABC and SBS - these free-to-air networks have seen significant changes in recent years, going from virtually our only viewing choice to just one of a plethora of options. With this changing landscape, these networks needed to adapt and that is exactly what they have done with the development of their own individual streaming apps, each with a unique array of shows available both live and on demand.
Just a few short years ago,
This certainly worked for the free-to-air networks, but for the consumers, it wasn’t exactly ideal. If you wanted to catch your favourite shows, you needed to be in front of your television at the time of airing, and your choice of what to watch was essentially limited to whatever was playing on the five FTA networks at any given time.
Relatively rapidly, things started to change. Cable and satellite TV came along, offering a far wider range of content than what was previously on offer, and throwing up a serious challenge to the programming on free to air networks. Soon after, the FTA networks switched to digital broadcasting, which would ultimately enable them to add on extra channels - the likes of 7Mate and 10Bold to which we are now accustomed - and offer up more programming.
But this wouldn’t be enough to remain competitive. Fortunately, the switch to digital broadcasting enabled our FTA networks to keep up, providing them with the ability to develop their own dedicated online streaming platforms starting with ABC’s iView back in 2008. Check out our review of free to air streaming apps.
The development of free-to-air streaming apps
With the launch of iView in July of 2008 (see iView review here), the way we watched television changed. Though it was only initially available as a Flash website, the amount of platforms on which it was available rapidly grew, and with it our expectations regarding how we watch television. Needing to be on the couch, in front of our TV, and watching whatever happened to be airing at the time was no longer enough - we needed greater flexibility.
And so, inevitably, the other FTA networks followed suit. Network Seven’s iView equivalent launched early in 2010 as PLUS7 (it’s now known as 7Plus, see review here), while Channel Nine’s FIXPlay (today known as 9Now) became available a couple of months later. SBS On Demand began in September the following year, with SBS World Movies, a channel dedicated to international cinema, becoming available from July 2019. Meanwhile, TenPlay lagged a little behind, launching in September of 2013 - prior to this launch, some catch-up programming was available on Ten’s website, though it was relatively limited. Find out how TenPlay fare with this review.
Though they might have been slower than most to get their initial app out, Ten has now moved the goalposts once again, adding a second streaming service to their repertoire in the form of 10 All Access. 10 All Access is a CBS-owned catch-up service which offers a range of content from both Network Ten and CBS itself, and which presents as a subscription service in the vein of Netflix or Stan rather than a traditional free-to-air on-demand platform.
How to watch
These streaming apps weren’t immediately available on the range of platforms that they are today. For example, ABC iView could initially only be viewed on the Flash website, and it remained that way for a couple of years. Late in 2010, an iOS app became available for iPads, before a mobile equivalent was launched in the middle of 2012. At the end of 2013 an app for Android devices was developed, and it was then gradually made available for devices like various smart TVs, game consoles and more.
Today, all of these apps are widely available, ensuring that the vast majority of people will have the option of tuning in to their favourite shows whether they’re at home or on the go. The catch-up service websites enable streaming to Macs and PCs, while those after a little more flexibility can download apps for all of these networks to iOS and Android devices. Add in the likes of the array of Smart TVs on the market today, as well as various gaming consoles, and you’ve got a list of eligible devices with something to suit virtually everyone.
It’s important to note that you’ll require broadband to use many of these apps. Some internet service providers enable you to combine your entertainment services with broadband and TV bundles, making it easier to keep track of your bills and ensuring you never miss out on your favourite shows. Telstra, for example, offers a Telstra TV included in their unlimited data packages. Not only does this mean you never need to worry about going over your data limit, but the Telstra TV (see our Telstra TV review here) enables a universal search for shows across different apps to make it easier to find your favourites.
The benefits of streaming apps
The primary benefit is, of course, the ability to tune in to what you want, where you want. Gone are the days of needing to be at home on your couch for the solitary time that your favourite show would air. Find yourself sitting on the train on the way home from work when something you want to watch is on? No problem. Simply tune in on your eligible device and watch it on the go. Prefer to watch it on your big screen? Again, not an issue. With the ability to delve into a huge library of catch-up television - it varies from show to show and network to network, but you can generally find anything from the last couple of episodes to entire series’ of TVs biggest hits - you can simply wait until a time that suits you.
And of course, this flexibility is par for the course in the era of streaming television. With the advent of Netflix and the various other streaming platforms that have popped up in recent years like Amazon Prime Video and BINGE, more and more people are opting to watch their favourite shows on devices other than their television, and the ability to tune in on your own terms, rather than when the TV guide tells you to, is standard fare.
VOD (Video On Demand) has rapidly become a necessity rather than a luxury, and free-to-air streaming apps have had no choice but to keep up. Contributing significantly to this is the demand for sport when and where we want it - Foxtel Now and Kayo Sports have made it possible to stream your favourite sports both live and on demand, meaning if you miss the first bounce of the big game you can simply start from the beginning when you’re ready. With the huge amount of sport available on free-to-air television, this is a major reason why these networks have needed to create apps which enable viewers to do just that, though depending on the broadcast deals there can at times be limited VOD availability for certain sports on free-to-air apps.
Costs and advertisements
Perhaps the biggest advantage of free-to-air streaming apps is the cost, or lack thereof. The free aspect of these networks remains, whether you’re watching live on TV or through the catch-up streaming service, with the exception to this being 10 All Access.
Of course, these networks need to make money somehow, so you’ll still be forced to sit through some advertising on the catch-up services (with the exception of the 10 All Access streaming platform, which makes money through the subscription fee rather than ads). However, the quantity of this advertising is generally significantly less than you’ll find on live free-to-air television - where you might find close to ten minutes of advertising during a program, which lasts half an hour on live TV, watching the same program on a catch-up service will likely bring you two or three ad breaks of a minute or so, enabling you to get through more programming in less time.
Essentially, these advertisements exist in place of the subscription fee which you pay for many other services. Whether this is better or worse is up to individual preference - considering the range of content available on the likes of Netflix, Stan, BINGE, and Foxtel Now, the fact that some services like hayu cost less than $10/month, and the presence of a free trial on most of these platforms, many would prefer to fork out some small change each month, but this will inevitably vary from person to person.
Is it for you?
Ultimately, whether or not you get significant use out of these streaming apps depends on whether or not you enjoy the content. If there’s nothing there that you want to watch, then no amount of available devices or flexibility will make them worthwhile. However, with each network now boasting at least three different channels, and an increasing amount of past content available on these streaming services, it’s becoming more and more likely that there’ll be something available to suit your needs. And with these free-to-air services the only remaining way to get access to great television without needing to reach into your back pocket, there’s very little reason not to give them a try.