New Australian SVOD Service Stan Secures Rights for Breaking Bad Spin-Off

SYDNEY: StreamCo, a joint venture between Nine Entertainment Co. and Fairfax Media, has unveiled the new soon-to-launch SVOD service Stan, which will be home to both Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul.

Stan will offer unlimited access to thousands of hours of entertainment, with first-run exclusives, TV shows, classic catalogue titles, blockbuster movies and a slate of kids' content. Stan can be watched in full HD on TVs or devices such as a tablets or smartphones.

Mike Sneesby, the CEO of StreamCo, said: “We are thrilled to reveal the new name in entertainment: Stan. With world-class content including TV shows, movies, and an abundance of kids shows to watch when you want, Stan is a game-changer for entertainment in Australia. Starting today we will begin to reveal some of the highly anticipated and first-run content that will be available exclusively on Stan.

“And, hugely exciting for us, we welcome Rebel Wilson as the face of Stan, an Aussie superstar who has made it big in Hollywood. Hilarious and adored by all, Rebel is the perfect fit for everything Stan represents—international star power, hugely entertaining, yet so down-to-earth.”

Wilson said: “It’s awesome to be back in Australia and I love being here to promote Stan. It’s not named after the Eminem song, I checked. When I was a kid we all used to binge at Sizzler, now all anyone is doing is binge-watching TV. So it’s great that with Stan, Australians will now have a streaming service like the kick-ass ones we already have in the U.S.”

Through a deal with Sony Pictures Television, Stan becomes the exclusive SVOD home in Australia for Breaking Bad. It also secured the first-run rights for the highly anticipated Better Call Saul prequel.

Nick Forward, the content and product director of StreamCo, said: “We are delighted to have secured exclusive rights to 2015’s most anticipated new show. We’re huge fans of Breaking Bad and can’t wait to see where Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould take some of these amazing characters next.

“With Stan, Australians will finally have a value-for-money subscription entertainment service that makes premium content accessible to everyone. We look forward to revealing the rest of our content lineup in the coming weeks, including more fantastic first-run series and awesome exclusives.”

Mark Young, the senior VP of distribution sales for Australia and New Zealand at Sony Pictures Television, said: “Premium content continues to be a key driver to digital platforms, so our landmark drama Breaking Bad is a natural fit for Stan. Digitally connected audiences are sure to love Better Call Saul just as much.”