Australian pay TV group Foxtel has unveiled a new television and streaming product which has been tipped to revolutionise how citizens access sports and entertainment content across the country.
Hubbl will provide free and paid streaming content for millions of Australians, bringing more simplicity to a sector that has become increasingly complex in recent years.
The platform, which will be available on two different devices, will unify subscriptions and provide consumers with a ‘world-leading entertainment operating system’.
Sky UK and Comcast USA have backed the innovative entertainment technology which has global scale but has been designed with the Australian market in mind.
Users will be able to easily access entertainment programming via simplified search functionality, while sports fans will also be able to find their favourite content via the same route.
Hubbl will also open the door for sports bettors to wager on the same platform through standalone sportsbook apps developed by approved Foxtel partners.
This will effectively make Hubbl a one-stop shop for sports fans, allowing them to watch live events and place wagers on new Australian betting sites within the boundaries of the same platform.
By introducing this additional layer of convenience for punters, Foxtel is hoping that Hubbl becomes the go-to sports streaming system for millions of Australians over the next few years.
Patrick Delany, the Chief Executive Officer of Hubbl and Foxtel Group, believes the technology will transform how people watch and bet on sports and consume entertainment content.
“We all love the explosion of choice that streaming has delivered us over the past few years,” Delany said. “But there is no doubt we are all experiencing the same frustrations – having to go in and out of apps, keeping track of show recommendations, remembering what we started but did not finish watching and who in the family is paying for what. Hubbl solves these frustrations.”
Consumers will be able to purchase Hubbl in two ways – either as a small device that plugs into any compatible smart television or via Hubbl Glass. The latter is a high-end television with a built-in sound bar that requires just a power cord and stable internet connection to operate it.
Hubbl Glass is effectively Australia’s version of Sky Glass – a product which has revolutionised the way people in the United Kingdom consume sports and entertainment content.
Although the reception to Sky Glass was initially mixed, the product has benefited from several technological improvements which will form a core part of Hubbl Glass.
These include a more responsive remote and intuitive voice control, which collectively deliver a pleasurable user experience. Voice support is included on YouTube and Netflix so users can speak into the remote to find content, and is available on numerous other apps.
The on-screen menus are well laid out, while collating series content you are in the midst of watching is easily handled via a playlist feature.
Foxtel are yet to confirm the full raft of features on Hubbl Glass, but they are expected to include the best of what Sky Glass has to offer and blend those with several other exciting innovations.
Delany says Hubbl is ‘the next quantum leap in entertainment technology’ and will provide users with far greater levels of convenience than the current complicated streaming landscape in Australia.
“Hubbl is like nothing in the market,” Delany added. “It is television and streaming made easy – seamlessly integrating world-leading technology with a purpose-built design and unrivalled app integration that sets it well ahead of the curve.
“It has been built with Australian consumers in mind, effortlessly fusing free and paid entertainment and sport from apps, channels and the internet into one seamless user experience – delivered via Hubbl Hub or a world leading TV – Hubbl Glass.
“It will deliver a frictionless paid and free entertainment environment, and we believe will become the heart of the home for millions of Australians.”