New standalone streaming app Lifestyle about to launch:
Australiaâs biggest streaming apps join Hubbl
18 global and local apps will join Hubbl, fusing together an unrivalled world of entertainment.
Australiaâs newest transformative TV technology, Hubbl, has today announced the global and local streaming apps that will be available on the platform.
The global streaming services include Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, video sharing platform YouTube, Apple TV+ and Paramount+. While local streaming apps available on Hubbl will include Kayo Sports, Stan, BINGE, Optus Sport and Flash as well as Australiaâs much-loved free streaming apps including ABC iView and ABC Kids, SBS On Demand, 7plus, 9Now and 10 Play. As part of the launch of Hubbl, LifeStyle, a new streaming app that brings together the best lifestyle content, will also launch on the platform.
Stan, Optus Sport and Paramount+ will join the Hubbl platform soon after launch.
Hubbl aggregates the biggest global and local apps in the world and ensure thousands of hours of incredible content are showcased on Hubbl, which will make streaming, searching between apps, watching and subscription management easy.
Hubbl is designed to fuse the best local and global content, including premium entertainment and sports, video on demand and live channels into a single experience.
Hubbl is a world-leading entertainment operating system and experience available as a small device that plugs into any compatible TV. The only way to make the Hubbl experience better is with Hubbl Glass - a TV with Hubbl and a high-quality, built-in sound bar that only requires an internet connection and a power cord, no other wires.
Patrick Delany, CEO of Hubbl, says, âHubbl will effortlessly fuse free and paid entertainment and sport from Australiaâs favourite apps, channels, live TV and the internet into one seamless user experience.
âHubbl is only as good as the breadth and depth of apps integrated onto the platform to ensure a truly converged streaming experience and in removing frustration when it comes to the choice of what to watch. Itâs a huge testament to the transformative Hubbl technology that these world-class and much loved local partners have chosen to reshape the streaming experience with us. The future of TV and streaming is here.â
Details on Hubbl pricing, specs, features and on-sale date will be announced soon.
Iâm hearing Wednesday
Hopefully they promote local content on the platform above imported content.
Iâd rather they just promote the best content.
Based on whose opinion? Usually money talks.
Fetch already does this!
It does seem like Hubbl has been created to compete with Fetch.
Iâm not sure how true it is but there was talk that the Fetch boxes will end up running the Hubbl OS but I wouldnât read too much into that.
It makes sense, would definitely give them bragging rights when it comes to subscriber numbers.
Foxtel has long wanted to be âcontrollerâ of the device that you use to watch content on/through and theyâve used their own content to help drive that but theyâve always been a step behind the market when it comes to the device. Allowing âappsâ on the iQ was a big step in this direction, but itâs a device that is a lot more complicated than is necessary, especially now people are more likely to use streaming over having physical infrastructure installed (Satellite or the now defunct HFC)
This will be the start of Foxtelâs big pivot towards being streaming dominant, there will still be some use for Satellite delivery, but as access to faster internet improves the need for everyone needing a satellite to access Foxtel diminishes quickly (and their sub numbers bare this out, theyâre often losing Satellite subscribers faster than theyâre picking up streaming subs on either Kayo or Binge
Thereâs potentially a lot going against Hubbl - itâs now a really crowded market - theyâre competing not just with Fetch, but also with Apple and Google as well as every smart TV manufacturer, and their flagship device has a much higher potential to become e-waste then most of their competition
Great analysis, and is my major question too - hoping to be surprised on Wednesday when the specs and prices are released, but in essence what would make me want to buy one of these devices over an Apple TV or a Chromecast that has Google TV? Seems like just another version of whatâs already out there so far, and technology thatâs already available on my 6 year old Foxtel Now boxâŚ
Unless they have some partnerships to get these into houses in a cheap way (âFree with any Telstra planâ) or a really, really low price, I donât see how this is going to work. Thereâs a lot of competition from big US tech brands like Google, Apple, possibly Roku. They all claim to do the same aggregation, with varying results.
Maybe like Amazon Fire stick as well.
Im pretty sure these are more a device you by outright. You may be able to get one on a contract if you really wanted but im pretty sure these will be available to purchase outright. The hubbl puck may be affordable ( not sure) definitely not Fire stick or google chome prices though. The hubbl tv (sky glass) more high end.
This is a major hurdle - the pucks pricing will play a lot into this, but the television is going to be a struggle - you only have to take a look a your local JB Hifi or Harvey Norman to see the vast range of options that are available and at a variety of price points.
Theyâll also need the tv in stores somewhere - you might get someone buying a pick sight unseen from the internet, but not a television, especially one at what is expected to be reasonably pricey if the price of the Sky Glass units is anything to go by.
I just donât see what compelling feature that these devices are going to have that will get them selling.
A radical thought- would Foxtel be so bold as to discontinue support for their apps such as Kayo and Binge on non-Hubbl TV devices (such as Google/Android TV, Fire Sticks and Apple TVs) and in a couple of years time in order to force people over to Hubbl pucks.
Would be a very unpopular and risky decision but I could see Foxtel being brazen enough to do it.
From a sports fans perspective, with content now split across Kayo/Fox, Optus, Stan, Paramount and Amazon Prime (with ICC events and beIN access), if Hubbl could provide a centralised menu with whatâs live and upcoming across all services (even better if you could filter by the services you have subscriptions for), that would actually be a fairly enticing proposition depending on the price of the puck.
I canât see this happening - the damage would be significant. I could see them incentivising access or content through the device though
