Fetch TV guide: Everything you need to know

Fetch TV might not have changed much over the years but it has changed ownership. Since Telstra bought a large stake in the entertainment service, its availability has shrunk. While you used to be able to get Fetch TV free with a bunch of internet plans, now you can only buy it outright or through Telstra on a payment plan.

While it may not be a bonus anymore, Fetch TV boxes are still worth considering if you're looking to streamline your TV set up.

Fetch TV Australia is a Foxtel competitor but, like the pay-per-view service, one that has grown with the times to tap into the popularity of streaming services like Netflix and Stan. The heart of Fetch TV is a set-top box, available in Fetch Mini or Fetch Mighty variants.

Unlike classic Foxtel, which used a dedicated hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC, the same as cable internet) for channels, Fetch TV is an internet protocol television (IPTV) set-top box that’s reliant on your home internet connection to deliver entertainment. There’s also a companion app where you can stream content, too.

The Fetch TV entertainment offering is comprised of a variety of channels and apps with one of the bigger selling points being that it can house a variety of services in a single application that might otherwise require multiple streaming devices. For those who want to save on a growing army of remotes and haven’t yet looked into universal remotes, this may be a tempting prospect.

The Fetch TV set-top boxes can be bought outright from selected retailers, including The Good Guys, JB Hi-Fi, and Harvey Norman. Prices vary between retailers but the Fetch Mini (4K) has a $159 RRP while the Fetch Mighty has a $599 RRP.

To watch Fetch TV you need a set-top box, which means either the Fetch Mini or Fetch Mighty. As the names imply, the Fetch Mini is a smaller, entry-level Fetch TV set-top box that comes at a cheaper price ($159RRP), whereas the Fetch Mighty is a larger Fetch TV set-top box with a higher price tag ($599RRP). 

Both boxes have a once-off $1 activation fee but have no ongoing cost for the Starter Pack, and they may be included in eligible plans from selected providers (more on these below) or can be added for an additional monthly fee on top of your internet. Regardless of which set-top box you opt for, Premium Channel Packs are added from $7.99 a pop (per month), and you can also pay separate monthly fees to add on Special Interest packs as well as World Packs.

Other TV entertainment similarities between the Fetch Mini and Fetch Mighty include:

• Inbuilt free-to-air catch-up TV apps
• Apps for Netflix, Stan, Prime Video, Hayu, and 10 All Access
• UFC (via pay-per-view and ESPN channel in Vibe pack)
• TV Store for the latest shows
• Smart 7-day program guide
• Pause and rewind live TV
• Inbuilt parental controls
• One-search feature across entire Fetch service (including apps)

Movie similarities between the Fetch Mini and Fetch Mighty include:

• 8,000+ movies to buy or rent (linked to Fetch account)
• 30 pre-selected movies each month
• Rotten Tomatoes review integration
• Browse movies by cast, crew, and genre

Fetch TV app similarities between the Fetch Mini and Fetch Mighty include:

• Free Apple and Android app
• App useable as second remote
• Watch premium channels
• Watch shows and movies (within Australia)

Fetch TV is a Foxtel alternative that brings together traditional free-to-air television, streaming services like Netflix and its own stable of channel packs under one roof. You get all your entertainment in the one interface, which is accessed using a single remote and even supports universal search.

Setting up Fetch TV is as simple as purchasing either of the two set-top boxes (Fetch TV Mini and Fetch TV Mighty) through a retailer, connecting that unit to your TV and then adding all the content sources you want to access on it.

Depending on how you buy it, the ongoing cost of Fetch TV may differ. If you buy it directly through Telstra you can pay it off in instalments, but if you buy it from a traditional retailer you'll just have to pay for it outright. On top of that you'll need to pay for any channel packs on a monthly basis. Compared to streaming service prices, and Foxtel prices, the $24.99/mth ask is pretty reasonable if you ask me.

Although select streaming apps are available on Fetch TV devices, as a service, Fetch isn't really comparable to streaming services like Netflix and Stan.

Instead of a flat monthly plan fee for access to a streaming library, Fetch offers themed channel packs for $7.99 per month (or $24.99 per month for everything). It's kind of like Foxtel's traditional pay TV model but a lot cheaper. Even if you do decide to stream Netflix or Stan on your Fetch Mini or Mighty, you will still need to pay for that service's subscription.

Still, with everything on offer, you might be wondering whether its worth signing up for Fetch or settling for a streaming service. Here's a quick look at some of the most popular streaming services in Australia and how much they cost.

While Fetch TV has app support for popular streaming services but these aren't all inclusive. You'll find some key basics like Apple TV+, Netflix, and Prime Video, but there are notable exclusions like every single Foxtel owned app.

Luckily, any app that doesn't have an interface specifically for the Fetch TV box system can still be accessed through the Android app store direct on device.

Note that you'll still need to pay for your streaming subscription on each app. These prices are not included in Fetch's fees.

These are the streaming service apps that are currently supported on Fetch TV:

• Netflix
• Disney+
• Apple TV+
• Prime Video
• Paramount+
• Stan
• YoutTube
• BritBox
• Hayu
• Plex
• DocPlay
• DAZN
• TED

You’ll also be able to find these free-to-air catch-up apps on Fetch TV (no extra fee, but login is usually required):

• ABC iView
• SBS On Demand
• 10 play
• 7Plus
• 9Now
• ABC Kids

While Foxtel offers an IPTV streaming service in Foxtel Now, the core Foxtel offering is reliant on a set-top box. The latest IQ5 set top box uses your web connection rather than a HFC cable, and also includes streaming service apps, similar to Fetch TV. Foxtel has no-contract options and 12-month plans. At last check, Foxtel offered discounts between $10 and $20 off per month if you signed up for 12 months.  Signing up for 12 months also saves you over $200 in hardware and setup fees.

Where Foxtel and Fetch are similar is in their pricing and channel pack configurations. Foxtel offers packages, like the premium all-inclusive Platinum Plus which features every channel, sports, movies and multiscreen streaming, and more niche packages like Sports HD and Movies HD, which offer the base 50+ channels plus sports and movie channels, respectively. Foxtel also allows you to build your own package, picking and choosing which channels and features matter most to you. Here's how much each addition costs:

• Sports HD for $25
• Movies HD for $20
• Kids for $5
• Favourites for $20
• Multiscreen for $15
• HD for $10
• Foxtel magazine for $3.95
• Multi-room Foxtel iQ4 for $25 ($150 equipment fee per box, $100 standard installation fee, and $35 connection fee)
• Antenna Pacific for $23
• RAI International for $23

Fans of popular sports like rugby league, AFL, and cricket are effectively tied to either Foxtel or its streaming spin-off Kayo Sport, whereas there are dollars to be saved for opting for Fetch TV over Foxtel, depending on the products you want. 

The content offerings differ across the two pay TV services, but Fetch TV presents a cheaper entry point for someone seeking to have access to more content and special interest channels.

There are also six special interest packs that can be added to Fetch TV, one of which is pay-per-view, others have a monthly fee, and one that’s free.

Optus Sport

For now Fetch still says Optus Sport is available as an add-on, but that won't be the case for long. Optus sold its Premier League licenses, and its subscribers to Stan Sport so this will be gone come August, 2025.

beIN SPORTS Pack

The beIN SPORTS Pack for Fetch TV costs $14.99 per month for three channels that cover global tennis, football, and rugby. The three included channels are:

TBN Inspire and Good

The TBN Inspire and Good channels are free pack Christian channels. 

Horse & Country

Horse & Country is a Special Interest Fetch TV Pack meant for fans of equestrian sports and country living, which costs $9.99 per month. It includes a focus on these four areas:

Italian Pack

This World Pack costs $15 extra per month and comes with four popular Italian channels that cover news, movies, and entertainment. The four included channels are:

As an IPTV streaming service, Fetch TV requires broadband internet of a certain speed to be accessible. Fetch and Fetch HD services require a 3Mbps download speed, and are supported on ADSL2+, hybrid fibre-coaxial (cable), and NBN broadband services. Fetch recommends at least 15Mbps for streaming 4K content, but flags that 20–25Mbps is the better minimum speed range for 4K.

One hour of standard-definition viewing works out to 1GB of data per Fetch TV set-top box, and it’s roughly 2.5GB per hour of HD viewing per Fetch TV set-top box. While 4K data-streaming estimates aren’t provided by Fetch, 15Mbps streaming works out to around 6.75GB each hour per Fetch TV set-top box, while the 20–25Mbps range comes to about 9GB to 11.25GB every hour per Fetch TV set-top box.

Find out more about streaming requirements with our guides to speed needs and data usage:

• How much data do you need?
• Which NBN speed do you need?
• What is Mbps?
• 4 straightforward steps to switching NBN providers