While The Walking Dead is ready to bow out, HBO is looking to wade into the post-apocalyptic fray with an adaptation of Naughty Dog's critically acclaimed The Last Of Us

Whether you're a longtime fan of the games or a more recent convert, the smart casting and lavish budget involved with The Last of Us promise not just one of the most exciting video game adaptations to date but one of 2023's most exciting new TV shows.

If you're itching to know which streaming service will let Aussies stream The Last of Us when it debuts next year, we already have a pretty good idea what the answer will be.

• Foxtel Now
• Binge
• Foxtel via FOX SHOWCASE

In Australia, the first season of The Last Of Us is slated to make its streaming debut via both Binge and Foxtel Now. Once it arrives, the series will also be able to be found by Foxtel subscribers via On Demand section of Foxtel's classic pay TV service. 

Back in 2020, Foxtel signed a multi-year licensing agreement with WarnerMedia securing access to HBO and select HBO Max Original content for the foreseeable future. As long as that arrangement is in place, expect to find both the current and future seasons of The Last Of Us on both Binge and Foxtel Now.

If you're not already a subscriber to any of the above, the impending arrival of the first season of The Last Of Us is a great excuse to sign up for the service on a two-week free trial. Beyond the award-winning comedy, the service has tons of other great TV shows including the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, the supernatural sitcom What We Do In The Shadows and Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal.

Even if you take your time getting through the series or forget to cancel the trial, the most you'll end up paying for Binge is $18 per month. In comparison, the cost of a Foxtel Now membership that includes the Essentials channel pack (which you'll need if you want to watch The Last Of Us) starts at $25 per month.

If you're looking to swap NBN providers, it's worth noting that all Telstra NBN plans currently include two free months of Binge. This offer is available to customers new to Binge. You'll pay $16 per month after your two free months are up, but can always cancel. 

Here are Telstra's NBN plans: 

The first episode of The Last of Us will premiere on the 16th of January in Australia.

Based on the video game franchise of the same name, The Last Of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama that centres on the unlikely bond that forms between a grizzled survivor haunted by the past named Joel (Pedro Pascal) and a young girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsay) as the two embark on a journey across the plague-ravaged ruins of the United States.

While it's not yet known how closely HBO's upcoming adaptation of The Last of Us will hew to the source material, the direct involvement of Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann (who was the creative director on the original game) promises to make it must-watch material for fans of the franchise.

Binge is Foxtel's second streaming service. Rather than adopt the cable-style channel packs model seen with Foxtel Now, Binge has a more Netflix-inspired subscription system. You pay a monthly fee, you get access to everything in the Binge library plus the features associated with your membership tier.

Check out the table below for a breakdown of how Binge compares to Australia's other streaming services.