Watch the Best Reality TV Online in Australia
The reality television market is huge in the world. Ever since MTV’s the Real World, people have loved looking in on the lives of others. From there the spotlight shifted to programs like Big Brother and American Idol, where cash prizes reigned supreme. There are still the insider shows that follow well known Hollywood celebrities documentary style like Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Then there are hidden camera programs whether it is pranks, dating shows, or even million dollar competition shows.
What’s in this guide
Streaming reality TV shows in Australia
Reality TV can be a little more specific than other genres, and is often saved for live TV broadcasting with nightly instalments, but there are still exceptions. Entire seasons of past shows can often be found on premium streaming services, like Project Runway on Foxtel Now or RuPaul’s Drag Queens programming on Stan or even the Real Housewives on Netflix.
There are free trials for most streaming services, so if you’re likely to binge a season in one go, it may be wise to trial a site and get your reality show fix. The market is still growing with on demand services, but below will cover many of the options available for reality TV shows.
Best reality shows to watch
A lot of reality television is interchangeable for people as the contestants often change from season to season and even the hosts move shows. Unless viewers truly love the theme of the show, it is common to watch many at a time. For some people a dating show like the Bachelor is half of the interest while house makeover franchise The Block may be another or perhaps even wild island competition drama Survivor.
These are some of the biggest franchise reality TV shows, but not nearly close to naming all of them, and for every successful show there are ten more trying to be just like it.
What reality TV is on BINGE
While BINGE may be the home of the best television, they showcase drama and not so much melodrama. Majority of the BINGE library is absent of reality shows, but there are a few gems here and there. Thanks to the Foxtel, BINGE has the rights to showcase the Real Housewives collections and Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Some reality shows that may not have had their recognition include cooking competition shows like The Great British Bake Off, Top Chef, The Great Celebrity Bake Off and Celebrity Masterchef. Otherwise if you’d like a peak into a different lifestyle there are shows love Swamp People, Alaska PD, Total Bellas and 100 Days in the Wild. Two titles we think are a must are Wahl Street, a glimpse into the life of actor Mark Wahlberg, and Catfish UK, a guilty pleasure to catch online dating liars. For more upcoming reality show content, we recommend reading what’s on BINGE.
What reality TV is on Foxtel Now
Reality television is definitely better suited to a live streaming platform like Foxtel Now as a lot of shows don’t collect seasons for the on demand market until years later. Foxtel Now has a slight leg up over its sister service BINGE with its more expanded library. An example would be the Kardashian reality show features only one season on BINGE but fifteen on Foxtel Now.
Some other reality television exclusive to Foxtel are shows like Gogglebox, the show where you watch people watch shows, Selling Houses Australia, the popular real world property TV show and of course cooking competition The Great Australian Bake Off. While Project Runway only has one season available on Foxtel Now, it’s the only place to watch the model beauty show. For more reality TV news, we would suggest keeping up to date with what’s on Foxtel Now.
What reality TV is on Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video may be a little less than conventional with its reality TV but it has some of the most beloved real world shows. The Amazon Prime library is huge and with their on demand marketplace where you can rent and purchase all the best titles, it only stretches further and further into the cultural landscape.
Some of Prime Video’s best claims to fame are Top Gear as well as the original Top Gear crew’s spin off and Prime Original The Grand Tour. You can also catch Bear Grylls in his survival how-to show Man vs. Wild. One of the best reality television shows that Prime offers however is Mythbusters with stars Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. There is a lot to love on Prime Video, especially with a list of constantly updating shows.
What reality TV is on hayu
The streaming service hayu features exclusively reality television. If you want that style of content, then hayu is your bet. They have a large range of reality TV and a cheap monthly price. While the service does include the classics like the Kardashians and Real Housewives, it also has a tonne of new and unique programs for your reality TV fix.
If you love a good dating show then there is Below Deck, Millionaire Matchmaker and Ex on the Beach. Otherwise if you want something darker, you can get your true crime fix with seasons of Snapped, In Ice Cold Blood which stars Ice-T and License to Kill. For the most part, viewers seem to love competition and contestants fighting for a grand prize or million dollar cash prize. If this is you, then try Top Chef Masters, special effects makeover show Face Off or even Best Ink.
What reality TV is on Netflix
With Netflix owning the streaming game from day one, it’s no surprise that hidden camera shows, competition shows and dating shows have a home on Netflix as well. After all, when Netflix’s library was limited to mailed out discs, there weren’t many ways to binge your favourite reality show. Now, they live simply at the click of a button.
Netflix is home to reality content like cash prize competition show The Circle, physical challenges in The Floor is Lava and even mental challenges in cash prize game show Jeopardy. It doesn’t stop there though, for some laughs there is the hidden camera prank show Impractical Jokers, saucy dating show Too Hot to Handle or even food and culture show Fresh, Fried and Crispy. Netflix is always opening the gates to original reality shows, so best to keep up to date with everything new on Netflix.
Best reality show streaming providers
When it comes to the reality shows, your option of streaming services to choose from is almost overwhelming and they all have their own originals and exclusives. These streaming services like hayu and Netflix have a solid library of reality television, a suitable monthly price, a user friendly platform and good credibility. If they didn’t we wouldn’t be showcasing them.
hayu
The reality TV streaming service hayu is Australia’s home for all things reality and at such a low price. hayu has a massive one month free trial which is almost necessary to even make a dent in the insane range of TV shows they have.
We recommend trying before you buy and why not when you have such a long trial period. The plan that hayu offers, yes just one plan, is fantastically cheap. For just $6.99 per month you can register up to five devices for reality TV streaming and explore the entire content library. Like the game shows available to watch on hayu, the value here feels like a million dollar grand prize. You can watch through the website or a range of apps available on almost every device.
BINGE
BINGE has a huge library of reality TV for you to choose from and it starts at a very low monthly price. There is a 14 day free trial for all new BINGE customers, so you can try before you buy. BINGE has the rights to all HBO content so you can find the funniest dark comedy as well as some real life drama to top it off.
The BINGE basic plan starts at $10 per month giving you the option of one simultaneous stream in standard definition. From there, the standard plan at $14 per month kicks in offering two screens in high definition. Lastly, there is the premium package which settles at $18 per month and features up to three simultaneous streams in glorious high definition. None of these plans force any commitment and can all be cancelled free of charge at any time.
Foxtel Now
Foxtel has a similar library to BINGE as they own the streaming service, but with their proprietary service Foxtel Now offering customisable channel packs and live TV streaming, you’re in for a more unique experience. Foxtel Now offers a 10 day free trial to all new customers which opens up all channel packs to users so you can correctly sample before landing on the right pack for you. Once the free trial ends, you have the base Essentials pack at $25 per month, and any additional packs can be added for their respective price.
For our reality TV fans, the Essentials pack should be more than satisfactory with the inclusion of lifestyle, TLC and MTV, but for some extra goodies you may want the docos channel pack which is only available in the All Packs bundle at $104/month. Foxtel Now can be utilised to watch live reality TV as they are broadcasted or catch up on demand at any time from any device.
Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video is a great platform for streaming high quality reality TV. Not only does an Amazon Prime subscription get you access to the TV & movie platform, but also free express shipping on their marketplace, Amazon Music streaming, access to their Prime Gaming streaming platform and exclusive sales on Amazon.
Prime Video comes with a whopping 30 day free trial and only costs $6.99 per month. There are no tiers, so for the one price you get everything the service has to offer. On top of that, Prime Video doubles as a film marketplace where you can rent or purchase most new release films before they get a home release.
BINGE from Telstra
We don’t want to give too much away, but there are some fantastic deals hidden with these streaming services. BINGE from Telstra is one of those hot deals, but it’s only just the beginning. While this offer does not give you any sort of free trial, eligible Telstra customers can receive the first three months free when signing up for twelve months.
The BINGE from Telstra deal limits you to either the standard or premium plans at $14 per month and $18 per month respectively, but the value pays for itself very quickly. Users have no limits and can access any of the best reality TV BINGE has to offer. This offer is eligible for new and existing Telstra mobile or Telstra Broadband customers.
Foxtel Now from Telstra
We told you there were more hot deals to come. Foxtel Now from Telstra is similar to the previous offer in there being a free first month when you sign up to a twelve month deal through any eligible Telstra account. Access any and all of the reality TV that Foxtel offers across their channels with this discounted offer.
The offer includes the base Essentials pack but All Packs can be added for $104 per month. Watch your favourite reality TV starring the a celebrity cast live or on demand on up to five devices. Make sure to check out Foxtel Now from Telstra now.
Telstra TV Box Office
Telstra TV Box Office is an online marketplace like iTunes, Google or Amazon. It’s a great way to watch the latest reality TV before it’s available on streaming services, which can often be a long time depending on the studio behind it, or the show’s success. There is no membership or subscription fee, simply pay per view with the comedy rental and purchases.
Telstra TV Box Office requires an existing Telstra account before you can start to watch and stream. Once you have this, simply log in and stream your favourite reality TV, or perhaps the latest and greatest. If you are a Telstra Plus member, you can use any Telstra Plus points you may have to purchase or rent films or even just lower the price of one. All charges will be billed directly to your Telstra account, or you can use Telstra Plus points.
Netflix
Netflix is one of the biggest players in the streaming service world and they know what they’re doing when it comes to their originals. While reality TV isn’t necessarily the biggest part of the Netflix culture, it is still massive and plays a significant role in making the service great.
There are no free trials for Netflix, but if you’re happy to watch standard definition programming on one screen at a time, the $10.99 basic plan will be perfect for you. From there, you have the $15.99 allowing up to two screens at a time, both in high definition. Lastly, Netflix have their premium plan at $19.99 per month which offers you four simultaneous streams in glorious 4K ultra high definition.
Stan
For many Australians, Stan is the home of classic comedy. A list of the best homegrown favourites can be found exclusively on this app as well as some pretty fantastic exclusives. While Stan is less on the cutting edge for reality TV, you can find the favourites like RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under and a tonne of classic real world hits.
Stan offer a huge 30 day free trial for all new subscribers which should not be missed. Once you’re in the gates, there are a few plans to choose from. The three plans range from $10 to $14 to $19 a month respectively and entail their own benefits. The basic plan offers standard definition on one screen at a time, while the next two offer high definition on up to two. The premium tier offers 4k ultra high definition, but is otherwise the same plan.
How to watch reality television online
As helpful as it is to know who has what and for how much, as well as some insider opinions on the services, there’s still a few more details. Before you get started streaming there are a couple of things you’ll need to ensure you have a seamless experience when you watch your favourites.
Compatible streaming devices
Starting off with a streaming provider begins with the right hardware. There are a huge range of mobile devices (tablet, PC, android smartphone) compatible to use with streaming apps, as well as dedicated TV hub devices. A good quality connection is also essential if you want to watch premium TV in HD quality. Make sure to check on the provider pages to see if your device is compatible before signing up.
Streaming films can use up big chunks of data, especially when you’re on a cellular connection. So, make sure you have access to a high, if not unlimited, data plan from your mobile or broadband provider if you watch movies online.
Internet suited for streaming
Telstra’s latest NBN plans are a smart way to watch and stream TV without worrying about how much data you use. A 500GB Data ($75/mth) plan will give you speeds of up to 25Mbps, whilst the more complete Premium Internet + Unlimited Data (from $90/mth) plan provides speeds up to 100Mbps.
New and switching customers signing up for the Telstra Broadband service today find big savings when signing up online, as the standard $99 connection fee is waived. Once you’ve signed up you can tailor your plan by choosing the option that works for the picture quality you desire.Your perfectly optimized content goes here!
