Telstra extends streaming service with launch of Telstra TV

The move will catapult Telstra, Australia’s biggest telco, into a leading position in the provision of subscription video on demand (SVOD) in Australia, a technology that has gone from technology curiosity to mainstream delivery medium in just a few years. Under the Roku Powered™ program, Roku licenses its streaming platform to Pay TV providers around the world who want to use the Internet to deliver entertainment services through streaming players. With the right data incentives, it could also prove an attractive incentive for customers to switch to Telstra Broadband. “Licensing the Roku streaming platform enables us to launch a streaming service and player without the magnitude of cloud services, software and tools otherwise needed to become an OTT operator”, said Joe Pollard, group managing director Media and Marketing at Telstra. Catch-up services will also be on offer, however Telstra hasn’t specified yet what specific channels will be featured. If it’s successful, it could cannibalise pay-TV Foxtel customers switching to Telstra TV.

The publication also believes that with this coalition, Telstra TV will be capable enough to handle the might of Netflix, as it will be offering unlimited streaming content for users on different platforms for a monthly subscription fee.

The Roku service will not feature a TV tuner or be able to record live TV.

The arrival of Telstra TV comes at a busy time in the streaming video space in Australia. In terms of hardware, the Roku 2 has a few key advantages over Google’s Chromecast – the other workaround for getting Netflix, Stan and Presto on your television along with Quickflix which seems to be missing from the Australian Roku line-up.

Unfortunately it doesn’t look like Telstra’s Roku remote will have a built-in Netflix button.

“[Asking us to offer it unmetered] is like asking ‘why aren’t you giving away free electricity?'”, she said.

Pricing and plans are yet to be finalised, but Ms Pollard confirmed that Telstra was trying to negotiate with Netflix, Presto and Stan to deliver a bundle price that would allow customers to subscribe to all three streaming services for less than a month.