It’s finally April and that means only one thing: the final season of Game of Thrones has finally premiered. In Australia, while we can’t access HBO’s streaming service HBO Go, the good news for Aussie Thrones fanatics is that we can still stream and watch Game of Thrones.
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 our wait has 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 is 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 Season 7 marked the first series that was based on mostly unpublished source material, as eager fans continue to await the final two books in the series — The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring.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 having premiered, we are well and truly in unknown territory when it comes to who wins and dies in the ‘game of thrones’.
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 season one. 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 the Foxtel Now app crashed during the evening peak when viewers tuned in to watch the season 7 premier. 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 legally watch Game of Thrones in Australia? If you have a subscription to Foxtel, you can watch Game of Thrones on the Fox Showcase channel, with the first screening at 11:00am, followed by repeats throughout the afternoon and evening. You can also record the show through your Foxtel iQ box to watch at a time that suits you. Existing Foxtel customers also have access to the Foxtel Go app, which lets you watch shows live and on demand via the app or the Watch Foxtel website — so you can catch 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 Essentials 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 be happy with the Essentials pack.
You can watch Foxtel Now on several different supported devices. The Foxtel Now app 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.
- You can watch Game of Thrones Season 8 through Foxtel on the Fox Showcase channel
- Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 1 aired on Monday 15 April at 11:00am
- You can catch encore screenings on Fox Showcase throughout the week
- Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2 airs on Monday 22 April at 11:00am
- Stream Game of Thrones on Foxtel Now for $25 with the ‘Essentials’ pack
- Foxtel pay TV customers can stream Game of Thrones on the Foxtel Go app as part of their package
How can I get Foxtel?
While you can sign up direct through Foxtel, you can also access Foxtel through Telstra. Telstra offers a few different options for accessing both Foxtel Now and Foxtel TV.
- Foxtel Now from Telstra: Purchase a Foxtel Now subscription through Telstra — existing Telstra customers can add this onto the one bill
- Telstra TV: Telstra TV is a set top box which includes the access to the Foxtel Now app so you can watch on your TV — you’ll still need a Foxtel Now subscription to access the app, but you can bundle Telstra TV with an internet plan (ADSL or
- Foxtel from Telstra packages: Telstra offers Foxtel TV packages and packages where you can bundle Foxtel with a Telstra internet plan
You might find that there is an advantage to purchasing Foxtel from Telstra, rather than through Foxtel direct. While Foxtel provides more flexibility by letting you select your packs to build your own plan, 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. The below table features links from a referral partner.
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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.
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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 little confirmed for what is to come in Season 8, beyond the first episode and that the battle at Winterfell is going to be a big one. So far, HBO has released the preview for Episode 2, along with trailers, several teasers and snippets.
In the first official trailer it’s clear that the great war for Westeros has finally come to Winterfell and it’s easy to see that the final season is going to be full-on battle action. The first scene shows Arya running and clearly scared of something. Considering Arya’s past, to see her scared is a little unsettling. We will also see some returning characters and confirmation that others had survived after the season seven finale.
Official Tease — Aftermath
This one is pretty grim and shows total destruction at Winterfell, which is sure to strike fear in the hearts of all Thrones fanatics. For the night is dark and full of terrors.
Official promo — Together
In the latest promo, Tyrion gives us some words of warning, setting the scene for what we can already tell, will be an epic finish to the show.
HBO 2019 lineup — Daenerys and Jon arrive in Winterfell
The snippet below, released during the Golden Globes, 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.
The first official teaser released
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 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 can’t stream 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 to watch Game of Thrones in Australia — a quick summary:
- Game of Thrones season 8 is only available to watch through Foxtel, including it’s streaming apps.
- Foxtel’s streaming service, Foxtel Now, is the cheapest way to watch Game of Thrones — $25 a month will get you the ‘Pop’ and ‘Lifestyle’ packs, which includes the Fox Showcase channel, which includes the biggest HBO shows.
- Foxtel has a range of TV packages, to watch Game of Thrones, you’ll need the Drama + Entertainment package at $49 per month, the Sport HD + Entertainment pack at $58 per month or the Platinum HD pack at $99 a month.
- The Foxtel Go app is for existing Foxtel customers and gives you access to catch-up and live TV streaming.
- Telstra offers Foxtel Now subscriptions in addition to Foxtel TV packages and Foxtel bundled with Telstra internet plans.
- Catch up on Game of Thrones by streaming seasons 1-7 through Foxtel, or rent/buy the seasons through Fetch TV, iTunes or Google Play.
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