As one of the biggest cultural phenomenons to spread across the world, Game of Thrones is unlike any other show on TV. If you’re one of the millions of people worldwide who tune in to watch each season, then you’ll understand what all the hype is about. With Season 7 airing way back in in 2017, it’s been a long time between seasons for Game of Thrones fans, but now our wait has (almost!) ended.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire series, Game of Thrones first premiered back in 2011 and now – like a dream of spring at the end of a long, cold winter – the final season will soon be upon us. Season 7 marked the first series that was based on mostly unpublished source material, as eager fans continue to await the final two books in the series — The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. So with Season 8 fast approaching, we are well and truly in unknown territory when it comes to who wins and dies in the ‘game of thrones’.
What can we expect from Season 8?
Keeping this relatively spoiler-free, Season 7 set us up for the inevitable battle between ice and fire. We’re now at the pointy end where the remaining characters’ story arcs have all been brought together in one way or another, to bring us what is sure to be an epic conclusion to the show.
So far, we have very little confirmed for what is to come in Season 8, beyond the premiere date on April 14 in the US (that’s Monday, April 15 for Australian audiences). So far, HBO has released two snippets — one of which premiered at the 2019 Golden Globe awards, as part of a montage of previews from a range of HBO’s 2019 releases. The Golden Globes snippet shows Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow arriving in Winterfell and being greeted by Sansa Stark. We’ll let you draw your own conclusions from Sansa’s reaction to their arrival.
Not long after the Golden Globes, HBO gifted us with our first proper teaser trailer for season eight. Jon, Sansa and Arya are seen visiting the crypts of Winterfell, where notable Stark family members are buried. For those of us who are super Game of Thrones nerds, this short teaser leaves us with a lot of speculation and unanswered questions, like what does it all mean?
How can I watch Game of Thrones Season 8 in Australia?
The rights to Game of Thrones, and many of HBO’s popular shows, have rested with Foxtel since the 2011 screening of season one; unfortunately, the HBO Go streaming app is only available in the US. This has been a sore point for many Australian Game of Thrones fans over the years, especially after the great Foxtel crash of 2017. When Season 7 premiered, the Foxtel Now app crashed during the evening peak when viewers tuned in to watch the show. At the time, Foxtel blamed the crash on a huge surge of last-minute subscriptions to the service, and the mass of users trying to watch the first episode at the same time.
So, how can you watch Game of Thrones legally in Australia? If you have a subscription to Foxtel, you can catch screenings on the Fox Showcase channel, which will most likely air first during the day to coincide with the US screening, followed by prime-time encore screenings that evening. You can also record the show through your Foxtel iQ box to watch later, which might be the best way to avoid watching through the apps. If you’re an existing Foxtel customer, you should also have access to the Foxtel Go app, which lets you watch shows live and on demand via the app or the Foxtel Go website – so you can easily watch the new episodes at your leisure.
For those without a Foxtel TV subscription, your only other option is to sign up to the Foxtel Now streaming service. For $25 per month, you’ll get Foxtel Now’s basic package, including its Pop and Lifestyle packs – the former of which gives you access to Game of Thrones. There are additional packs you can add on, but if you’re signing up primarily for Game of Thrones, you’ll probably prefer not to upgrade. Keep in mind that it’s possible that the Season 8 premiere may see Foxtel experience the same technical issues as in 2017, so you should probably sign up in advance.
You can watch Foxtel Now on several different supported devices. There’s the Foxtel Now app that can be downloaded to your mobile or tablet, and you can watch online on either a PC or Mac. You can also watch on your TV via Chromecast, Apple Airplay, the PlayStation 4 app, through Telstra TV, or by purchasing a Foxtel Now box for $99 from Foxtel.
How can I catch up on the other seasons?
Need a refresher before the final season? Or perhaps you’re looking to binge watch the series for the first time? The good news is, there are a few other options for catching up on the past seasons. Because Foxtel holds exclusive rights in Australia, you won’t see Game of Thrones on Netflix or Stan any time soon, but Foxtel does have seasons one through to seven available for streaming on both the Foxtel Go and Foxtel Now apps.
You can also buy Game of Thrones seasons through Fetch TV. Fetch TV is a streaming video on-demand (SVOD) set-top box with access to free-to-air and subscription TV channels. In addition to watching and recording live TV, Fetch TV allows you to watch video streaming apps including Netflix, Stan, and free-to-air catch-up apps such as ABC iView and SBS On Demand.
You can also buy or rent movies and TV shows through Fetch, including Game of Thrones seasons one through to seven. Several ISPs, including iiNet, Internode and Optus, have Fetch TV bundled with home internet plans, so it might be worth looking into if you’re interested in Fetch TV and currently comparing broadband and NBN plans.
Want an easier, no-fuss way to buy Game of Thrones to watch on your mobile or tablet? You can purchase all seven seasons through both the iTunes store and Google Play, making it easy to watch on your device on the go.
How can I get Foxtel?
Rather than going directly through Foxtel, you can now get access to its Now streaming service through Telstra. You can sign up to Telstra TV, which lets you play content from streaming apps like Foxtel Now straight on your TV. Telstra also includes a free 24-month subscription to Foxtel Now on its Unlimited + Streaming broadband plan (which also includes Telstra TV), so if you’ve been looking into a Telstra NBN plan, this could be a sweet enough offer to entice you over.
You can also get Foxtel’s pay TV channels from Telstra, including a range of Foxtel packs (like the Platinum HD channel pack, which features drama, sports, movies, documentaries, and more). While Foxtel provides more flexibility by letting you select your packs, Telstra has a range of preset packs to suit a range of different viewing needs, and some of these plans are actually a bit cheaper than through Foxtel. Another advantage to choosing Foxtel from Telstra is the convenience of bundling other Telstra plans (such as an unlimited broadband plan) through a single provider, which can make it easier to manage your accounts.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
min. cost $1,755 over 24 months |
100GB | $69 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $2,235 over 24 months |
Unlimited | $89 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $2,475 over billing period |
Unlimited | $99 | Go To Site |
 View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Not sold on Telstra? While you can sign up for just a Foxtel (or Foxtel Now) subscription through Foxtel, the company now also offers its own internet (ADSL and NBN) plans, which are bundled with subscriptions to its pay TV service. If you’re already looking at switching your internet provider, this could be a money-saving alternative to signing up for a Foxtel subscription and separate internet plan with another ISP.
If you are looking into a Foxtel broadband bundle that will give you access to Fox Showcase (so you can watch Game of Thrones), you’ll need to select either the Drama pack or Platinum HD bundle.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Unlimited Broadband + Drama
min. cost $1952 over 12 month plan period |
Unlimited | $124 | |
|
Unlimited Broadband + Platinum HD
min. cost $2912.03 over 12 month plan period |
Unlimited | $204 | |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
While the wait for Season 8 continues, the end is drawing near. No doubt HBO will release more sneak peeks over the coming months – so brace yourself, because winter is well and truly here.
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