Oz streamer Stan gets launch date

The Australian subscription VoD (SVoD) battle will intensify with the launch of Stan on January 26, Australia Day.

A co-venture between Nine Entertainment and Fairfax Media, Stan will go head-to-head with Presto TV, which went live on January 18, and the 10-month-old Foxtel Movies.

The platform will get two months’ head start on Netflix, which is set to inaugurate its Australian service in late March.

Among Stan’s exclusive offerings at launch will be Amazon Studios’ Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle. Another exclusive, the Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul, will premiere on February 9, fast-tracked from the US.

Stan will use the Nine Network to cross-promote Transparent, with the first two episodes screening on Nine at 22.00 on January 27.

CEO Mike Sneesby said: “We know there’s been some speculation around Stan’s launch date, and while we’ve had to keep it under wraps we’re really proud to be able to announce that Australia’s new streaming service will launch on Australia Day.”

The platform will charge A$10 (US$8.08) per month for unlimited access to its TV and film library, which includes exclusive SVoD rights to the James Bond franchise, with a 30-day free trial.

Sneesby is confident the free trial will spur big sampling, telling C21: “We have worked hard to pick some of the best programming and we are offering great value. I can’t see why a lot of people won’t give it a go.”