Amidst a competitive world of new streaming services, SBS this week has relaunched its On Demand platform, which originally hit the internets back in 2011, primarily as a catch up service. But now, with over 4000 hours of documentaries, drama and movies free to all Australians on 22 platforms, SBS On Demand has set itself up to be a serious competitor in the digital streaming space.
Their new responsive website is easier to use, easier to search and faster to run, featuring special content only accessible via On Demand, including premiere titles and curated collections, all of which will be free across the country.
Michael Ebeid, SBS Managing Director, said: “Launched in 2011 as an online catch up service, SBS On Demand has grown to be a go-to content destination, now with more than 4000 hours of premium content available to all Australians. It is a true representation of the quality drama, documentary and film on offer from SBS that goes to the heart of our special Charter, and provides Australians with an enviable range of distinctive content available anytime, on any device, absolutely free, in a way only SBS can.”
The fully responsive website scales down to any device it’s accessed from and the design puts it on par with the likes of Netflix or Hulu (not available in Australia, but just using it as a point of comparison!). To give you a bit of an idea about what else you can expect by enjoying the platform, here are some fun facts they provided us about the content:
- 350 feature documentaries and factual programs are on offer through SBS On Demand for the first time.
- 600 top quality films from across the globe are among the list.
- SBS On Demand is available on 22 platforms.
- Among the exclusives, season three of US series Rectify is available express and is premiering exclusively on the streaming service, ahead of the television broadcast.
- Other drama content includes Bosch and Masters of Sex, which will have an exclusive preview screening of their first episodes on SBS On Demand, as well as catch-up titles such as The Principal, 12 Monkeys and Glue.
Meanwhile, the documentaries include the Alex Gibney Collection including premieres of Sinatra: All or Nothing at All; Mr Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown; Freakonomics, Gonzo and Finding Fela! SBS On Demand also features seasons one and two of Skint, an insightful docu-series that explores the intimate stories of people living with the effects of long term unemployment in one of Britain’s most deprived areas to the table.
As for the films, their hand-picked movie collection features some of the greatest films from across the world, The Rocket to The Way of the Dragon and Amelie. Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture and Frances Ha are among the titles set to be released over the coming months.
Along with these curated collections, SBS On Demand has a sizeable film back-catalogue including Exit Through The Gift Shop, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Touching the Void, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Pan’s Labyrinth, Let the Right One in, and many, many more.
And did we mention it’s free?
Get your hands on it now, here: http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/
Article contribution by Larry Heath.
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