Fetch TV
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Subscription television, IPTV |
| Founded | July 2010 |
| Founder | Astro Malaysia Holdings |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | IPTV subscription service, set-top boxes (Mighty and Mini), video on demand, pay-per-view films, mobile app |
| Owner | Telstra (51.4% as of 2 August 2022) |
| Website | fetch |
Fetch TV is an Australian IPTV service delivering subscription television through users' internet connections. Predominantly owned by Telstra, which secured a 51.4% share on 2 August 2022, the company originally debuted in July 2010 under Malaysian ownership by Astro Malaysia Holdings.
The service provides a set-top box equipped with a digital TV tuner, personal video recorder functionality, and access to as many as 45 subscription channels. Its offerings include video-on-demand, pay-per-view films, web-based applications, and a dedicated mobile application.
Fetch TV utilizes HLS adaptive bitrate streaming, with minimum required internet speeds differing depending on the ISP's delivery method. Most content remains unmetered when streamed through broadband connections from Fetch TV’s affiliated ISPs.
History
- On 25 May 2010, Fetch TV launched its initial generation of PVR set-top boxes in partnership with iiNet. These devices supported three digital tuners for Australian terrestrial broadcasts alongside fourteen subscription channels and six Video on Demand options. By 21 July, five international news channels were incorporated, followed by the addition of the SVOD service WarnerTV on 6 August.
- Fox Sports News was introduced on 27 August 2010. By February 2011, football-centric channels such as Chelsea TV, Man City TV, Barcelona TV, Man Utd TV, and Real Madrid TV were added.
- Shortly thereafter, the Ovation channel and Setanta Sports became available; Setanta was offered as a $15 monthly add-on. The Travel Channel joined the lineup on 15 September 2011, coinciding with Optus beginning to resell the service.
- In 2014, Syfy was introduced to the platform. On 1 February 2015, the subscription package underwent restructuring with nine new channels including ESPN and BBC, while six channels were removed. Following the acquisition of Setanta by Al Jazeera Media Network in 2014, it was rebranded as beIN Sports (Australia).
- Fetch announced integration plans with Netflix on 16 February 2015, allowing users to access Netflix content directly through the Fetch box. In March 2016, Optus incorporated its Optus Sport channels featuring the English Premier League, exclusive to its customers. On 15 June 2016, third-generation set-top boxes were launched: the Mighty with 4K capability and the Mini. This release included adding Spike and intentions to introduce apps like Presto and 9Now.
- During 2016, Fetch trialed HD broadcasts for channels such as ESPN, beIN Sports (Australia), and Optus Sport. Users of third-generation boxes gained access to HD versions of BBC First and BBC Knowledge.
- Channel offerings were reorganized into four purchasable bundles on 27 February 2017, confirming HD availability for several channels with further enhancements planned.
- October 2016 marked the release of Fetch’s updated mobile application.
- In July 2017, Fetch secured rights as Australia's 'Official Broadcaster of the UFC', providing pay-per-view fights at $54.95 AUD via their 'Edge Sport HD' channel.
- Remaining channels from BeIN Sports (Australia) numbered 2 & 3 were added in August 2018.
- On 10 October 2019, BBC Earth was launched as part of BBC's worldwide rollout strategy, replacing BBC Knowledge with both live broadcasts and on-demand programming.
Models and Features
Fetch TV provides two types of set-top boxes: the Mighty and the Mini. The Mighty supports 4K resolution content and acts as a 1 TB DVR media center equipped with four tuners. In contrast, the Mini offers up to 1080p HD quality with a smaller pause buffer and depends on the Mighty unit for multi-room configurations. Both devices come with built-in over-the-air antenna tuners in addition to Fetch's own programming services.
Subscriber Base
In the Australian market, Fetch TV competes against Foxtel and Telstra TV. Industry analysts in 2014 emphasized the importance of expanding its subscriber numbers to ensure ongoing viability. By early 2016, Fetch had amassed 400,000 active users and aimed to reach 600,000 by the end of that year. This goal was ultimately achieved in late 2017, largely propelled by the rollout of Australia's National Broadband Network, which supported an average monthly increase of 20,000 customers throughout 2017.
Additionally, Fetch operates a television ratings application within the industry to monitor subscription activity and viewership statistics across channels.
Subscription Channels
Below is a list of Fetch TV channels along with their assigned numbers as of 2024:
| Channel Number | Channel Name |
|---|---|
| 100 | Movie Box |
| 101 | Oxygen |
| 102 | Universal TV |
| 104 | MTV |
| 108 | TLC |
| 110 | Comedy Central |
| 112 | BBC UKTV |
| 114 | BBC First |
| 116 | Investigation Discovery |
| 118 | Discovery Turbo |
| 126 | Discovery |
| 127 | Curiosity Channel |
| 129 | Animal Planet |
| 130 | BBC Earth |
| 131 | Love Nature |
| 132 | BBC Brit |
| 134 | HGTV |
| 136 | Food Network |
| 138 | Travel Channel |
| 150 | ESPN |
| 151 | ESPN2 |
| 157 | beIN sports 1 |
| 158 | beIN sports 2 |
| 159 | beIN sports 3 |
| 160 | EDGEsport |
| 171 | MSNBC |
| 172 | CNBC Australia |
| 173 | GB News |
| 174 | BBC News |
| 175 | Ticker News |
| 176 | Movie Store |
| 180 | SBS On Demand |
| 184 | 7plus |
| Channel Number | Channel Name |
|---|
Pinoy TV Bundle
Consists of 8 Channels:
- Aksyon International
- DWLS – Audio
- DZBB – Audio
- GMA Life TV
- GMA News TV
- GMA Pinoy TV
- Kapatid TV5
- Viva TV
TVB Cantonese & Korean Bundle
Includes 4 Channels:
Taj Mahal (Indian and Pakistani) Bundle
Comprises 23 Channels:
Applications
Fetch devices are compatible with the following applications:
Note:
1 Accessible via the 'Catch Up' menu.
2 Accessible via the 'TV' menu.