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Australian streaming video on demand service Stan has announced the impending arrival of a raft of new native apps, bringing the service to TVs, gaming consoles and more.
Despite being the first Australian streaming service to have an Apple TV app, Stan has lagged behind other streaming services when it came to video game console and smart TV platforms. Today, Stan held a press conference to presage increased platform compatibility for the streaming video service, although it was reluctant to name any availability details other than a rollout “later this year.”
Stan is a joint venture between Nine Entertainment and Fairfax that began operations on Australia Day this year. The company has proven to be an aggressive player in the Australian streaming landscape. In addition to extensive local and international licensing arrangement the service also has its own original series in production, a police comedy called “No Activity.”
At the press launch, Stan CEO Mike Sneesby said that since launch, the company had “shot straight past local competition to be a real contender in the Australian market.” Sneesby said the company has found “well over” 300,000 subscribers since launch, and over 800,000 users.
While Stan didn’t name specific technology partners for the new app range, the demonstrations on show included a Samsung curved Smart TV, a Roku streaming box, a PlayStation 4 and a PlayStation 3. Sneesby noted that the demonstration units were not an exhaustive list of upcoming apps.
Nic Healey/CNET
Carly Daff, head of product at Stan, showed off the user experience of the new apps, noting that the interface was consistent across the various platforms. Sneesby said that Stan had taken its time to work on the apps, ensuring that the customer experience was as positive as possible. “If you throw shit at the wall, it’s the shit that sticks,” Sneesby said.
Recently Stan locked down a deal with Warner Bros International Television Distribution that saw the service gain five first-run shows, as well as movies and other back catalogue collections. This included all 236 episodes of the hit ’90s show .
The new range of apps bring Stan very much into line with rival Netflix as being able to offer High Definition content directly on large-screen TVs. While Presto and Foxtel Play have native apps, those services only offer Standard Definition video content.
Stan also used the press event to show clips from an assortment of new shows, including the Bruce Campbell comedy “Ash vs The Evil Dead,” which will actually stream in Australia before the rest of the world.
